After failing to meet with both the commerce minister and DNCC mayor without making an appointment the meet traders association held a press conference at the Gabtoli cattle market on Sunday.
Dhaka Metropolitan Meat Merchants Association Secretary General Rabiul Islam said they have suspended their strike in consideration of the general people and the hospitality industry.
“We went to the commerce ministry and met with Munshi Shafiul Haque, additional secretary to Ministry of Commerce and Md Aminul Islam, deputy secretary to Ministry of Home Affairs and submitted our four-point demand, as Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed was out of town on a prior engagement.
“We also visited the DNCC office but the mayor had already left to attend a scheduled programme but we did submit our demands for their consideration and now we are waiting for the decisions from the two governing bodies on the matter,” said Rabiul Islam.
On Friday, the red meat traders promised that they will sell meat at Tk300 per kg if the government eases complications over importing Indian cattle and stops extortion, unsanctioned taxes at cattle markets, especially Gabtoli.
According to Rabiul, about Tk20,000-Tk30,000 has to be paid as extortion for each cow to be brought from the borders to Dhaka, in addition to the excessive payments to the leaseholders.
Dhaka Metropolitan Meat Merchants Associations four-point demand are-stop all extortion by leaseholders of Gabtoli cattle market, The firing of DNCC chief executive officer and chief estate officer, the stopping of illegal cattle imports from bordering countries and shifting the tannery to Hemayetpur.
On Wednesday, leaders of DMMMA and Dhaka Metropolitan North-South Mutton Traders Association in a media briefing claimed they had been forced to raise the price of red meat citing the same allegations.
They also accused the leaseholders at Gabtoli of employing thugs to threaten them if they refused to pay.
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