Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)-The Bangladesh High Court asked the government to form an expert committee to stop the use of steroid and hormones to fatten the cattle that will be sacrificed during the Eid-ul-Azha scheduled to be held on October 6.
As per the HC order, the secretaries of home ministry, commerce secretary, food secretary and family and welfare ministry will have to form a seven-member committee in eight weeks.
The committee will consist of health experts, doctors, veterinary doctors and nutritionists.
The court also directed the committee to submit a guideline in this regard to the health ministry within eight weeks.
The court also issued a six-week rule calling upon the respondents to explain as to why their inaction and failure to take necessary steps to stop the use of steroids to fatten the cattle should not be declared illegal.
The HC move came following a writ petition filed on September 22 seeking its directives on the government to appoint veterinary doctors for all cattle markets in the capital this year to examine health of the sacrificial animals.
It is alleged that a section of unscrupulous traders use steroid to the sacrificial cattle, especially cow, ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha (the second largest religious festival of Muslims also know as festival of sacrifice) to fatten the cattle to earn a good profit which is health hazardous.
BBN/ASI/ANS-29Sept14-4:00pm (BST)