Why import cattle meat?

The High Court yesterday questioned the legality of the government’s decision to import cattle meat, in spite of surplus production in the country.

The court issued a rule asking the government to explain in four weeks why the decision should not be declared illegal.

In the same rule, it asked the respondents to show cause why they should not be directed to ensure the standard and quality of the production of cattle meat and food in the country.

Secretaries to the ministries of commerce, fisheries and livestock, and religious affairs; and director generals of Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institution (BSTI) and department of livestock have been made respondents to the rule.    

The bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader came up with the rule, following a writ petition filed by one Mosabbir Hossain, a Brahmanbaria resident, seeking necessary order on respondents not to open import of cattle meat.

In the petition, Mosabbir prayed to the High Court to direct respondents to take initiatives to make the cattle farms capable of exporting meat from all districts of the country.

Mosabbir submitted the petition to the HC recently, saying the decision of importing cattle meat without having any proper testing system in place is unreasonable, and highly alarming for public health.

In the petition, he included an opinion of Bangladesh Dairy Farmers’ Association (BDFA) General Secretary Shah Emran who reportedly said in September, “Import of beef will be discouraging for farming of dairy and beef, and affect the aspiration to be self-sufficient in milk and meat”.