A public interest litigation has been filed with the High Court seeking immediate action against an alleged illegal horse meat trade in Gazipur, where diseased horses were reportedly slaughtered and the meat sold fraudulently for human consumption.
Obhoyaronno - Bangladesh Animal Welfare Foundation, A K Khan Healthcare Trust and actress Jaya Ahsan filed the petition on Sunday.
The writ petitioners sought High Court directives for a time-bound investigation into the illegal horse meat trade, legal action against those responsible and submission of an investigation report before the court.
The petitioners also sought directives to formulate a national guideline and action plan within 60 days to prevent such activities, stop the auction of vulnerable horses and establish proper shelters and rehabilitation facilities for rescued animals.
The petitioners’ lawyer Saqeb Mahbub told NewAge that the matter was listed for hearing by the bench of Justice Ahmed Sohel and Justice Fatema Anwar any day in this week.
According to the petition, a joint drive in Gazipur in early November 2025 uncovered an organised illegal horse meat trade operating from a cotton factory that had been converted into an unlawful slaughterhouse.
The lawyer in petition said that the operation was conducted by the district administration, the Department of Livestock Services, Rapid Action Battalion-1 and police.
During the raid, authorities reportedly found around 36 severely sick horses, eight slaughtered horse carcasses and large quantities of meat prepared for sale and distribution.
The rescued horses were allegedly suffering from severe malnutrition, untreated infections, open wounds, tumours, maggot infestations and other serious injuries.
Veterinary examinations conducted by Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University reportedly detected antibiotic-resistant bacteria, parasitic infestations, fungal contamination and suspected tuberculosis infection in the animals.
The petition claimed that the contaminated meat was being sold for human consumption and, in some cases, falsely marketed as beef.
Although authorities later announced monitoring measures and restrictions on horse meat sales in Gazipur, enforcement remained weak, the statement said.
It said that Obhoyaronno repeatedly contacted the Gazipur district administration and the police, providing documents and information about the illegal trade, but no effective steps were taken to identify and arrest those involved.
The Department of Livestock Services also handed over rescued horses to Obhoyaronno for treatment and rehabilitation on several occasions after requests from the deputy commissioner’s office in Gazipur.
However, the organisation said it lacked the capacity to shelter more rescued animals.
The petitioners further alleged that authorities in Gazipur were auctioning confiscated sick horses despite repeated appeals to stop the practice.
On December 29, 2025, the organisations and actress Jaya Ahsan sent letters to relevant ministries seeking immediate action, but received no effective response, the statement added.
The petition warned that without immediate judicial intervention, the illegal trade would continue to threaten public health, food safety and animal welfare.
