Staff Correspondent, Narayanganj

At the last moment, cattle are brought in from border areas, so every year Narayanganj faces no shortage of sacrificial animals. Farmers are ready, and online cattle trading has already begun. This year, the Department of Livestock expects a total transaction of around Tk 500 crore in sacrificial animals in Narayanganj, including both small and large-scale trades.

 According to sources from the Livestock Department, the district’s demand for sacrificial animals stands at 99,252. However, currently, there are 86,426 animals ready for sacrifice in the district. Among them are 48,273 bulls, 6,465 oxen, 910 buffaloes, 10,440 goats, 3,384 sheep, and 161 other animals. That leaves a shortfall of 12,826 animals compared to demand.

However, officials from the Livestock Department believe this shortfall may decrease in the coming days. A total of 4,500 farms across the district’s five upazilas are ready to sell livestock, and trading has already begun in many of them.

But local farmers and livestock traders disagree with the official data. According to them, once cattle start arriving from Sirajganj, Chowhali, Pabna, and other regions, both the supply and demand for sacrificial animals in Narayanganj rise. By their estimates, the total demand for sacrificial animals in the district this year will exceed 150,000 and will not fall below that.

 Last year, the total demand for sacrificial animals in Narayanganj was 166,803. At that time, the five upazilas in the district had about 10,000 farms (4,327 of which were registered and the rest seasonal) providing 43,660 goats, 1,333 sheep, and 25,989 cattle ready for sacrifice. The remaining animals to meet the demand came from other parts of the country, as is the usual trend.

 Compared to last year, the demand for sacrificial animals in Narayanganj has increased in 2025. Last year, 166,000 cattle were sacrificed in Narayanganj, and a similar demand is expected this year.

 Farmers in Narayanganj are currently busy grooming and fattening their cattle ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. The animals are being raised naturally using local feed. Alongside native breeds, exotic breeds such as Sindhi, Sahiwal, Brahma, and Bhutti cattle, as well as goats and buffaloes, are also being prepared for sale.

 Hanif Mia, a farmer from Kutubpur village in Sadar upazila, has fattened 10 cattle under the guidance of the Livestock Department. He said, "I’ve fattened the cattle using only natural feed, without any chemicals. If no cattle are imported from India or elsewhere, prices at the cattle market may rise. Every day people are coming to see the cattle."

 Abdus Samad, a farmer from Siddhirganj, said, "My farm has crossbred cattle that are beautiful to look at and fetch higher prices. I have cattle ranging from Tk 2.5 lakh to Tk 12 lakh. Alongside buyers, many general visitors also come to see them daily."

 The Livestock Department reports that while there is demand for fattened cattle, smaller animals remain most in demand. If the targets are met, the department expects transactions worth around Tk 500 crore in Narayanganj this year.

 District Livestock Officer Dr. Mannan Mia said, "We train farmers all year on how to raise cattle and other livestock. The farmers in this district have fattened their cattle using natural methods after taking training on animal fattening. They feed the animals straw, wheat bran, lentil husk, grass, oil cake, and husk."