The price of beef increased at the shop of Khalil Ahmed, a popular meat trader of Khilgaon’s Shahjahanpur area, who had earlier announced the sale of beef at Tk595 in the current month of Ramadan.
However, he increased the price of beef by Tk100 after the first 10 days of Ramadan. Meat has been sold in his shop at Tk695 per kg since Thursday morning.
Khalil said that he was bound to increase the price of meat as the price of cows increased in the cattle market. If Indian cows come to Bangladesh, it is possible to sell beef for Tk500 per kg, he added.
Following the commencement of fasting, the government on March 15 fixed prices for 29 products, including beef, at both wholesale and retail levels.
It is estimated that the production cost of beef per kilogram is Tk587.50, with recommendations for producer-level sales at Tk605.13, wholesale at Tk631.69, and retail at Tk664.39.
Despite traders' objections to the government's stipulated price, Khalil had been selling beef at Tk595, drawing large crowds to his establishment, “Khalil Gosto Bitan.”
Last Friday alone, his shop witnessed meat sales crossing over Tk1 crore, with approximately 50 cows slaughtered to meet demand.
Earlier, the Meat Traders' Association had set the beef price at Tk650 per kilogram on December 7. However, Khalil opted to sell at Tk595 during Ramadan, reverting from the Tk650 rate. This decision, aimed at understanding market dynamics, drew significant public attention and social media traction.
Additionally, Khalil faced threats on January 18, when he received demands of Tk25 lakh and threats of violence against his family if he continued selling meat at reduced prices.
Two individuals were subsequently arrested on January 28 in connection with the threats against Khalil Ahmed and his family.