Butcher Md. Mintu expresses a different reality of Eid. He said, “Everyone wants to celebrate Eid with their family. But we go to Dhaka in search of extra money. The payment for cutting meat in Dhaka is much higher.”
According to him, in Saidpur, preparing a cow worth 100,000 taka earns at most 8,000 taka. But in Dhaka, the same work pays 20,000–25,000 taka. An experienced butcher can process at least 10 cattle over the three days of Eid. So after three days of work, many return home with good earnings.

Many families in Dhaka now know the butchers of Saidpur by name. Many even keep their mobile numbers saved. Mustakim, a butcher from Factory Gate Market in Saidpur town, said, “Earlier my father used to go to Dhaka. He mainly worked in apartments in Gulshan and Banani. For the last three years, I have been going to the addresses given by him. We are even provided accommodation in the garages of those apartments.”

After Eid, they return home, some by plane, some by bus or train. And their busy old lives begin all over again.