Cattle traders in the city’s different cattle markets are disappointed as sales are yet to gain momentum.
Unlike traders, customers seem to be happy being able to buy their sacrificial animals for a comparatively cheaper price than that of the previous year from different cattle markets that have sprung up across the capital ahead of Eid ul-Azha.
The cattle traders are a bit frustrated with the bad sales they have made so far.
“We are not getting our desired price by selling the sacrificial animals at the cattle markets,” said Mohammad Ali, a cattle trader from Sirajganj.
Most traders have come to the capital from across the country with an aim to make a good profit like the past years.
While talking to customers, it was learnt that this year they could benefit from a good purchase of sacrificial animals.
“I bought an ox for Tk36,000 this year while last year the price of an ox of the same size was Tk50,000,” said a cheery Delowar Hossain at the city’s Taltola cattle market.
Happiness also flickered across the faces of Tariq Hasan and Abdur Razzaq who bought two oxen from the same market on Saturday.
Apart from the Taltola cattle market, this correspondent visited Agargaon and Merul Badda cattle markets where customers were seen leaving with smiles on their faces.
Cattle trader Mohamamd Ali who came to Merul Badda cattle market with 50 oxen expressed his concern over the low cattle prices.
“Most traders will face huge financial losses if the current trend of bad sales continues till Eid,” he said, adding that he was hoping for a price hike at the eleventh hour.
When asked why he thinks there will be a price hike even after there was a huge supply of animals to the market, Mohammad Ali said, “due to the forthcoming parliamentary election, political leaders would buy several oxen to serve their followers and people of their constituencies with a special treat.”
Like Mohammad Ali, scores of traders in the three visited markets hoped so on Saturday.
Abdullah Al-Mamun, one of the members of Taltola cattle market leasing authority, termed this year’s cattle supply to be very good, but said it was impossible to predict cattle prices earlier.
The trade of the sacrificial cattle including cows and goats is going on at 20 different makeshift markets across the city.
The sale would continue until October 16, the day of festival.
