Including cattle in border haat trade

The government, reportedly, is contemplating to propose to India about inclusion of cattle trade in the border haats (market places). While the idea no doubt sounds innovative as well as highly purpose-serving for Bangladesh, there are factors that are not just about the 'holy' cow issue that India is strongly propagating in recent times. Concerned quarters are of the opinion that since border haats are meant to benefit people living in the adjoining border areas, inclusion of items should be a progressive process and realistic one in order that the benefits are really there. It is from this perspective that cattle cannot be ruled out as a potentially important tradable item.
Border haats, launched on the zero-line between Bangladesh and Indian borders, were projected to substantially increase bilateral trade, besides helping people living in the border proximities to market their produce -- mostly agricultural -- in these haats. But introduction of some of these haats was fraught with mismanagement and unforeseen problems from the very beginning. Despite the problems, the Indian side was quite enthused as demands kept pouring in for more such makeshift marketplaces. India has been pressing for more of these haats in various locations around some of its northeastern states to find easily accessible avenues for marketing locally produced products of those regions, cut off by long distances from marketing hubs within the country. The same should hold good in case of Bangladesh as well, but in the absence of fact-finding surveys, the economic impact of such haats on the livelihood of people in the border areas remains largely a matter of wild speculation. Clearly, the decision on border haats should be weighed in no other terms but quantifiable economic gains. So far, as reports say, Bangladesh is far from getting the desired benefits from these haats. Introduction of cattle trade may change the situation.  
According to the agreement on border haats,  commodities that can be traded include locally produced vegetables, food items, fruits, spices, bamboo-made products, products of local cottage industries such as 'gamcha', 'lungi', 'dao', plough, axe, spade and chisel, garments, melamine products, processed food items, fruit juice etc. Now, inclusion of cattle will in the first place require it to be on the agenda of a forthcoming bilateral meeting for negotiations by both parties as it involves a number of issues including raising the value of traded products, which is presently far below the price of , say, a cow. The basic issue that cannot be denied is the fact that the objective of border haats can be largely materialised if cattle from India is allowed to be traded in the haats. This, while ligitimising cross-border cattle trade, will surely put an end to many undesirable incidents including killings of Bangladeshis who brave the border fences to smuggle cattle from India into Bangladesh. In fact, a legitimate means of allowing Indian cattle into Bangladesh through border haats is potentially capable of improving people-to-people contact and harmonising relations among people living in the adjoining border areas.