Dhaka mulling over proposing Delhi to trade cattle thru\\\' border haats

The government contemplates proposing India to start formal cattle trading through border haats (markets) as concern grows over supply during the Eid-ul-Azha to be celebrated in late September, officials said.
Indian law enforcement agencies enforced an "informal" ban on cross-border "smuggling" of cattle early this year, which led to supply scarcity of cattle and sharp rise in beef prices in Bangladesh.
The ministry of commerce (MoC) has decided to take opinion from the ministry of foreign affairs (MoFA) before placing the proposal to India since exports of 'holy' cows are sensitive.
Price of beef has increased by nearly 30 per cent just after the ban was imposed after a call by the Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
Unofficial statistics show that nearly 2.5 million cattle are being 'smuggled' into the country from India through different borders. The ban has caused scarcity of cow in Bangladesh leading to price hike in beef.      
Officials at the MoC feared that price of meat may go up further in the near future if cattle cannot enter into Bangladesh from India. They also feared that many members of the Muslim community may fail to sacrifice animals in the coming Eid-ul-Azha due to scarcity of livestock.
Additional secretary of MoC Monoj Kumar Roy told the FE the ministry was examining the issue of proposing India for cattle trading as price of beef continues to spiral up in the local market.   
He said the issue of trading cattle is sensitive in Indian culture, thus the MoC will seek opinion from the Foreign Office before it sends the proposal to India.
Officials said the MoC at a meeting this week also decided to raise the permissible limit for individual spending in border haats to US$200 from existing $100. India recently proposed to raise the limit to $300.
They said the MoC has decided to respond to another Indian proposal of doubling the number of traders in border haats to 50 from each country.
Presently, traders from both countries sit in border haats once a week. India has proposed to raise the number of haat days.
But a senior MoC official said the border haat management committee comprising officials from both countries can decide on the number of days the traders will sit. They can raise the number of trading days if they find it necessary.
Four border haats are currently in operation along the Bangladesh-India borders where traders are allowed to sell locally produced goods and crops.
The two neighbouring nations had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in October 2010 to facilitate border trade through establishing haats.
For the first time on July 23, 2011, a border market was inaugurated at Kalairchar in Kurigram and West Garo Hill district in Meghalaya aimed at reviving the traditional border trade after 40 years. The border markets in those areas were shut down during Bangladesh's Liberation War in 1971.
 Officials said proposals are there from both countries to open several more haats in different places of the Indo-Bangla border.
The district administration of Comilla has proposed setting up of a border haat in Jagmohonpur village frontier under Chauddagram upazila. Besides, the Deputy Commissioners of districts proposed setting up of border markets in Kushtia's Daulatpur upazila, Brahmanbaria's Bijaynagar upazila, Rajshahi's Godagari upazila, Naogaon's Sapahar, Dhamraihat, and four markets in Patnitala upazila, Mymensingh's Haluaghat upazila, and Jhenidah's Maheshpur upazila.
Tripura alone demanded that 100 border markets be set up to boost local trade.  The Meghalaya state also sought at least 22 border markets.
According to the MoU, commodities in the boarder markets can be without any duty and traders can use Bangladeshi Taka and Indian Rupees and/or barter system for transaction.
Vegetables, fruits, fruit juice, eggs, dry fishes, chickens, wooden furniture, soap, potato, processed foods, spices, bamboo, bamboo grass and broomstick, home textiles, garments and melamine products, small agricultural tools like plough, axe, spade and chisel etc can be traded in the border markets.
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