Safiqul Islam (Jami) : During the holy Eid-ul-Azha, it is a tradition to visit different markets and buy the beloved animal. Now this market has a touch of modernity. Traders are selling millions of animals from farms through online platforms. Buyers can buy the animal of their choice sitting at home. The name of this modern management is ‘Digital Cattle Market’. During the Eid-ul-Azha of 2020, the official development of digital market took place in the country. Last year this market gained popularity and people’s confidence. As a result, more than four times as many animals were sold in 2021 as in 2020.
This time, preparations are underway for a digital market on the occasion of the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha. Concerned people think that people’s interest in digital market is increasing. There is a possibility of selling 8 to 10 times more animals online this time than last year. The official activities of Digital Hat will start on July 3. Eid-ul-Azha will be held in the country on July 10, subject to the sighting of the moon.
This time the Ministry of Commerce, A2I of ICT Department, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Ekshop, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), Bangladesh Dairy Farmers Association (BDFA) and E-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-cab) are preparing to organize an online platform ‘Digital Hat’ for the sale of sacrificial animals. There has been an inter-ministerial meeting held on this issue recently. Last year, e-Cab, BDFA and DNCC separately organized the ‘DNCC Digital Hat’. This time the government will manage the entire activities of the cattle market.
According to sources, a preparatory inter-ministerial meeting was held on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha recently. The meeting decided to instruct the district administration and upazila administration through all the city corporations, municipalities and divisional commissioners to sell cattle online. Before uploading pictures of animals online, you need to get a cattle health certificate by the concerned veterinary surgeons. The Department of Livestock will co-operate with the concerned online platform for selling cattle online and it is decided to give the name, address, mobile number, age, weight, price and picture of the cattle in case of uploading.
Due to pandemic coronavirus, the government has given importance to digital animal huts. According to that this time the government wants a ‘digital cattle market’ centrally. The ICT department has launched digitalhaat.gov.bd website for this. As you can see from this website, 63 livestock farms in different parts of the country have already been added to this website.
Cows, goats, sheep, ewes, camels and buffaloes have been kept in the animal category. You can get detailed information by clicking on the category that the buyer likes.
E-Cab General Manager (GM) Jahangir Alam Shovon said Digital Cattle Hat is a platform opens to all. There are many entrepreneurs across the country under BDFA. We were adding these marginal farmers to the ‘DNCC Digital Market’. This time the government has organized a digital market centrally. The transaction method here is very transparent; there is no scope for fraud. This market will be further expanded in the future.
Atiqul Islam, Mayor of DNCC, said that DNCC is working with other government agencies to implement Digital Hat. Through this, online buying and selling will become more important in digital Bangladesh. People will save time and prevent the spread of corona.