Torrential rains on Sunday and Monday dampened the trading at the capital’s sacrificial animal markets ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha.

The makeshift markets across the capital took a massive hit due to the rain as the official selling started on Sunday. Heavy rains disrupted trading, leaving traders and buyers struggling in muddy conditions.

Eid-ul-Azha, one of the largest religious festivals of Muslims, will be celebrated in the country on May 28, and a total of 22 cattle markets, including the permanent ones, have been operating in Dhaka under the supervision of the Dhaka North City Corporation and the Dhaka South City Corporation.

Almas Khan, who brought 18 cows weighing between 8 and 18 maunds to the Tejgaon Colony Bazar temporary cattle market, told New Age that government holidays started on Sunday and they hoped trading would pick up.

Many buyers who had arrived earlier in the day left the markets once the rain began. Trading activities resumed once the weather conditions became normal.

Traders, however, said that many of them arrived at the market two to three days ago but managed to sell only a few cows so far.

They also said that due to extreme heat over the past few days, the cows have become weak and uncomfortable.

On May 3, fisheries, livestock, and agriculture minister Mohammad Aminur Rashid told journalists that farmers and seasonal rearers across the country had prepared about 12.4 million sacrificial animals for this Eid-ul-Azha.

Among them are about 5.69 million cows and buffaloes, 6.63 million goats and sheep, and more than 1,500 animals of other species.

According to the Department of Livestock Services, more than 91 lakh animals were sacrificed during Eid-ul-Azha of 2025 in Bangladesh.

Out of the total 91,36,734 animals sacrificed, 47,05,106 were cows and buffaloes, 44,30,668 were goats and sheep and 960 were others, said the DLS.