DHAKA: Tens of millions of Bangladeshis defied a Covid-19 surge on Wednesday to join prayers in packed mosques and outdoor locations, as Muslims slaughtered record numbers of animals for the festival Eid Al-Adha.
The government has lifted a strict lockdown for a week to allow millions to head back to their villages for the second-largest religious festival in the Muslim-majority country.
The South Asian nation of 169 million people, where two-thirds live in villages, has been hit by a major surge in coronavirus cases and deaths in recent weeks that shows little sign of abating.
This is despite a tough lockdown in place since July 1 shutting down transport, offices and deploying the military to stop people leaving for their homes except for emergencies and essential supplies.
More than a million Bangladeshis have now been infected and over 18,000 have died — figures seen as a gross undercount. The surge has been blamed largely on the Delta variant first detected in neighboring India.
On Wednesday, the streets of Dhaka took on a festive look, with people in traditional clothing hugging each other and watching butchers as they slaughtered cows and goats for the three-day celebration.
Iftekhar Hossain, a spokesman for the livestock ministry, told AFP “a record 11.9 million cows, goats, buffaloes and lambs have been readied for sacrifice this Eid.”
He said authorities have launched an app to facilitate online animal sales as they want to cut crowds in the cattle markets to stop the spread of coronavirus.
“A record 387,000 cows and goats have been sold online,” he said.
The Eid Al-Adha animal sale is a $10 billion industry and is one of the key drivers of the economy in rural Bangladesh.
It is a key reason the government lifted the lockdown to allow cattle farmers to bring their animals to the cities.
Mohammad Ali, a farmer, said: “Last year we had to struggle due to the lockdown. This year again, if the lockdown wasn’t lifted, we along with our families would have to die starving.”
Ali came to Dhaka with 20 cows from the western border district of Kushtia.
On Tuesday, hundreds of thousands of people thronged the Gabtoli cattle market, the largest in the capital, deep into the night for last-minute purchases of animals.
“This is a difficult time. But sacrificing an animal during Eid is mandatory. Being a follower of Islam, how can I deny that? That’s why I came to the market to buy a cow,” Yasir Arafat, 39, a banker and a buyer, told AFP.
Bangladesh takes Eid break from Covid lockdown
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Bangladesh takes Eid break from Covid lockdown
- The government has lifted a strict lockdown for a week to allow millions to head back to their villages for Eid Al-Adha
- On Wednesday, the streets of Dhaka took on a festive look, with people in traditional clothing hugging each other
Kremlin says Putin is mediating in Iran to normalize situation
- Putin had then been briefed by Pezeshkian in a separate call on what the Kremlin called Tehran’s “sustained efforts” to normalize the situation inside Iran
MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin is mediating in the Iran situation to quickly de-escalate tensions, the Kremlin said on Friday, after the Russian leader spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Moscow has condemned US threats of new military strikes after Iran acted against protests that broke out late last month.
Putin in his call with Netanyahu expressed Russia’s willingness to “continue its mediation efforts and to promote constructive dialogue with the participation of all interested states,” the Kremlin said, adding he had set out his ideas for boosting stability in the Middle East.
No further details were given on Putin’s mediation attempt.
Putin had then been briefed by Pezeshkian in a separate call on what the Kremlin called Tehran’s “sustained efforts” to normalize the situation inside Iran.
“It was noted that Russia and Iran unanimously and consistently support de-escalating
the tensions — both surrounding Iran and in the region as a whole — as soon as possible
and resolving any emerging issues through exclusively political and diplomatic means,” the Kremlin said.
Putin and Pezeshkian had confirmed their commitment to their countries’ strategic partnership and to implementing joint economic projects, the Kremlin added.
Separately, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which includes Russia, China, India, and Iran, among others, said it opposed external interference in Iran and blamed Western sanctions for creating conditions for unrest.
“Unilateral sanctions have had a significant negative impact on the economic stability of the state, led to a deterioration in people’s living conditions, and objectively limited the ability of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to implement measures to ensure the country’s socio-economic development,” the SCO said in a statement.
Protests erupted on Dec. 28 over soaring inflation in Iran, whose economy has been crippled by sanctions.
Asked what support Russia could provide to Iran, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “Russia is already providing assistance not only to Iran but also to the entire region, and to the cause of regional stability and peace. This is partly thanks to the president’s efforts to help de-escalate tensions.”
The US Treasury on Thursday announced new sanctions targeting Iranian officials, including Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council for National Security.
