Pedestrians and vehicles, including hundreds of students, have been severely facing hassle while commuting as cattle markets have been set up two days a week on the road at Amragachhia Bazar in Sharankhola Upazila of Bagerhat for many years. Many times pedestrians are injured in the attack of cows and buffaloes. In response to the demand of the locals, the cattle market was filled with sand from the Upazila Parishad to relocate the cattle market but the cattle market has not been shifted till now.
Cow and goat markets are held every Monday and Thursday on the road leading to Rajapur Bazar adjacent to Amragachhia Bazar High School in Dhansagar Union of the Upazila. Cows, goats and buffaloes are tied in rows on both sides of the road so that people and vehicles cannot move normally. Pedestrians are often injured in cattle attacks.
Hundreds of students from high schools, government primary schools and madrasas adjacent to the road have complained that many parents commute to school due to the situation. Nazrul Islam Lal, a freedom fighter from Amragachhia village, Monir Talukdar and many others said that ordinary people and vehicles would not be able to move on the road when there would be a huge crowd at the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha cattle market.
Two years ago, the Upazila Parishad had filled a spase with sand to remove the cattle market in an alternative place in response to the demand of the locals. But the haat has not been removed even today. Sarwar Alam, headmaster of a government primary school adjacent to Amragachhia Bazar and commissioner of Upazila Scouts, told the correspondent that a cattle market was set up on the road two days a week, causing severe disruption to the movement of innumerable students and teachers. Besides, he also ruined his clothes a lot of the time. It has become urgent to remove the cattle market immediately.
Mainul Islam Tipu, chairman of Dhansagar Union Parishad, said that the market has been filled with sand at a cost of Tk 200,000 by allocating alternative places due to the difficulty in moving people for the cattle market on the road. There is talk of selling bricks from the Upazila Parishad.
Sharankhola Upazila Nirbahi Officer Nur-e-Alam Siddiqui said he did not know about the cattle market on the road in Amragachhia. He said he would look into the matter.
Raikhan Uddin Shant, chairman of Sharankhola Upazila Parishad, said bricks would be used instead of filling the ground with sand for the cattle market in Amragachhi if the ADP allocates for the next financial year.