Thursday | 16 January 2025 | Reg No- 06
বাংলা
   
Thursday | 16 January 2025 | Epaper

Women cattle farmers should get their share of the pie

Published : Thursday, 13 June, 2024 at 12:00 AM  Count : 569
Every year at the time of Eid-ul-Azha, there is a brisk business over the sale of sacrificial animals in all the cattle markets of Bangladesh. Women can play a vital role in cattle rearing business along with men. It is possible if there is proper atmosphere for them. The names of some animal markets that I know are Gabtali in Dhaka, Batholi in Manikganj, Alauddin Nagar, Kumarkhali thana, Kushtia district, and Baniapara, Kushtia Sadar upazila, Kushtia district.

A little investigation shows that there is existence of a 106-year-old cattle market in the country. But there is no place for women in any market.

On the occasion of the Eid, for two weeks, thousands of animals are sold every day. In all cattle markets of Bangladesh, the selling rate of cow on an average range from 55,000 to 3 lakh Taka depending on the market situation. Security is well provided in the cattle market. There is full cooperation of the police force at the cattle market at all times. Set up in the market, the fake currency detection machine is meant to catch fake notes.
Sale centres for cow feeds such as pulses, gram, maize, wheat, husk, straw, bark, grass etc have are established around the animal markets. And residential system developed for people to live and eat. There is good water supply system of tube wells and deep machine for raising water. Those who take the lease and call the market, manage it very responsibly. But sadly, it is all for men and all business done by men here.

Everyone knows that our country is progressing in everything now. The rate of women workers is increasing gradually. Women no longer stay at home. Men and women are working together for the development of the country. There are women workers in the fields such as earthmoving, sand hauling, ditch breaking, brick washing, plastering of culvert building and other works. To ensure the rights of women in the all sectors, steps have been taken by Bangabandhus daughter and honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.  

Women are working in many sectors, including cattle rearing, but they are being deprived of getting financial benefits from the sale of sacrificial animals. Women are giving more labour in animal farms. They are deprived of their access to sale centre in animal market. It is here that women are being barred to sell their reared animals in the market, according to sources related to women animal husbandry business.

Women fail to realize the remuneration of her husbandry in this regard. They cannot sell their reared animals in their presence. As a result, they could not realize the money from the sale of their animals. They said that their hard work thus went in vain.

Women bear all the cost of foods for the animals. Women cattle rearers complain that other male guardians also do not give the money, received from sale, to them when the male guardians are asked to sell their animals.

Therefore, for the sake of socio-economic development of the country, women can be more self-reliant alongside men if they get the money from the sale of their reared sacrificial animals.

The women who are rearing animals said that if their animals are given to others for the purpose of sale, then the animal does not eat properly and also does not want to bathe. As a result, the animals lose their flesh and get weak. Hence, the animals are not being sold at the expected price.

The concerned authorities should take measures to enable women to sell their animals at their own initiative. Then they will be encouraged to raise more animals, be proactive, and provide good service. In this, the country will advance in economic development. I draw the attention of the concerned authorities to this matter in the interest of my country.

Why grassroots level women do not get this opportunity to participate in the business  sector of the country? Now women are working in Bangladesh as organizers, writers, journalists, artists, judges, lawyers, magistrates, OCs, DCs, SPs, heads of institutions, directors, MDs, chairmen, secretaries, ministers and even prime minister. Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Bangabandhu, is ruling the country for a long time.

So why this big business opportunity will not be given to women? They are losing their rights by letting others sell their beloved animals. Women reared their animals the whole year by suffering and spending a lot of time and money. Their animals are physically hit when they do not eat and refuse to take a bath at the hands of others during the time of sale.

It is better if the whole matter is managed by women. Thats why, women want to complete the sell process by taking care of the animals themselves at least one season a year during Eid-ul-Azha. So they want to stay with their animals during the sale, and thats the environment they want.

They want such a system, which will be run by women themselves. Accommodation hotels, hay, husk sales, shops, etc. and guard security police all sections should be run by women, thats what they want. They think that if we can sell the sacrificial animals in this way, then many women buyers will also be found. Women buyers can take the animal of their choice from female traders for sacrifice much more easily. This way both will benefit, no one will be deprived.

It is my realization that the demand of working women regarding cattle rearing and the sale of their reared animals should not be disregarded. It is a reasonable demand for which proper steps should be taken to ensure the rights of women.
 
The writer is journalist, poet and lyricist


LATEST NEWS
MOST READ
Also read
Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Online: 41053014; Advertisement: 41053012.
E-mail: district@dailyobserverbd.com, news©dailyobserverbd.com, advertisement©dailyobserverbd.com, For Online Edition: mailobserverbd©gmail.com
🔝
close