Buyers, sellers of sacrificial animals facing serious problems in Rangpur

Rangpur Correspondent :
The holy Eid-ul-azha is drawing nearer but the buyers and sellers of sacrificial animals at different cattle markets in Rangpur are facing serious problems in purchasing and selling cattle heads due to the harassment by middle men and ‘dalals’ (brokers).
Sources said, thousands of cattle heads are being sold at different hats and cattle markets of the district everyday and most of the markets are totally controlled by brokers and middlemen. It is not possible to buy or sell a sacrificial animal without paying commission to the brokers, sources also said.
When a person comes at local hat or cattle market, he is deceived by brokers or middle men who move there in guise of real buyers or sellers of cattle heads.
It is alleged that the rural cattle rearers are often compelled to sell their cattle heads at low prices to the unscrupulous brokers and middle men under pressure. The brokers then sell those sacrificial animals to the buyers and cattle traders at exorbitant prices.
Abul Hossain (45), a buyer at Taraganj cattle hat told The New Nation “it is quite difficult to buy a sacrificial animal without managing local ‘brokers’. “I had to pay Tk 600 to the dalals for buying a cow” he added.
Amzad Miah (48), a broker at Taraganj cattle hat said, he earns Tk 2000 to Tk 3000 per hat day from brokery. “We just help people in buying and selling sacrificial animals and thus earn some money. I think it is not an offence”, he added.
A good number of buyers and sellers at different cattle markets of the region said they are being cheated and harassed often by the brokers consequently they have to incur huge financial losses. The law enforcing agencies should take necessary steps in this regard, they added.