Five traders manhandle an exhausted cow to the shore from a boat in Babubazar in the capital yesterday as almost all sacrificial animals are mistreated during their trip to the capital. Photo: STAR

Purchase and sale of sacrificial animals have already started at different cattle markets in the city ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha but prices are high compared to the last year's prices because of low supply of cattle.

Traders said the supply of cows was about 20 percent lower than that of the last year at Gabtali cattle market, the lone permanent cattle market, yesterday possibly because farmers did not rear as many cows for sale during the festival this year and the number of cows coming from India through different borders is still small.

However, a number of sacrificial animals especially cows have already been brought to 12 makeshift cattle markets of DCC although the prices are still high.

Abdur Rahman Molla who brought nine cows from Kushtia to the city's Gabtali cattle market said the number of sacrificial animals specially cows is low this year as most traders had suffered losses last year due to huge supply.

About 200 cows had been reared at village Dakkhin Chandpur in Kushtia last year but the number comes down to about 70 this year, said Molla, who suffered a loss of Tk 5,000 to 6,000 for each of his cows last year.

Justifying his demand of higher price, Md Korban Ali who brought six cows from Kurigram 10 days ago said he brought each medium-sized cow by paying Tk 5 to 7 thousand more this year compared to the last year.

He said cows are being imported from India through different border points of Kurigram, Thakurgaon and Satkhira but the number is still inadequate.

Prices of the cattle will decrease if the number of sacrificial animals coming from India increases within the next 2/3 days, he said.

The price of fodder is also high which is also a reason for high cattle price this year, said Lal Miyan, a trader of Doulatpur in Manikganj.

Traders have also brought 21 camels to the cattle market and one of which has already been sold.

"I've brought nine camels to Gabtali cattle market five days ago and sold one of it for Tk 2.05 lakh," said Md Mazlur Rahman who imported the camels from Rajasthan in India through Chapainawabganj.

Some 15 cows were sold at Taltala cattle market till 4:00pm yesterday, said a volunteer of the market.

"I've bought a cow from Taltala market at Tk 40,000 which was around Tk 35,000 last year" said Amzad a resident of Kazipara.