Horse meat sold in restaurants as beef, 37 sick horses recovered

There were allegations that horse meat was being served as beef in various restaurants in the capital, including Gazipur. Based on this complaint, 37 sick (sick) horses, including 5 maunds of horse meat, were recovered in a RAB operation in Pubail, Gazipur. On Tuesday (November 4), a raid was conducted at Shafiqul Islam’s house adjacent to Taqwa Masjid in Hyderabad area under Pubail police station in Gazipur metropolis at around 8:30 pm. As the horse meat butchers fled after receiving the news of the raid, none of the meat-selling gang could be arrested. RAB, police, Ansar, Gazipur district administration and members of the livestock department participated in the raid.
Locals said that Shafiqul Islam of Pubail Hyderabad area had been slaughtering horses in a shed under construction at his house for a long time and selling the meat collected from there to various hotels and restaurants in the capital, including Gazipur. It is learnt that the meat was being served as beef in the restaurant.
Meanwhile, when locals protested about this, members of the meat selling gang threatened them. Despite repeated raids and fines by the administration, the gang did not stop selling horse meat. Initially, 10 to 15 horses were slaughtered and sold, but now about 100 horses are slaughtered and sold every day.
It is learnt that Shafiqul Islam used to collect sick horses from different parts of the country and bring them to his house late at night. Then the work of processing their horse meat went on throughout the night. Then in the morning, buyers would come from different parts of the capital and other places in CNG and pickup trucks to buy horse meat.
It is also learnt that Shafiqul Islam initially claimed that this was a legitimate business, which went viral on social media. Later, the Gazipur District Animal Husbandry Department and the Gazipur District Administration warned him and banned horse slaughter and meat sale. Later, Shafiqul Islam defied this ban and stopped selling horse meat publicly and expanded the business secretly. Where 10 horses were slaughtered and sold earlier, now 100 horses are slaughtered and sold every day.
Meanwhile, several doctors at Shaheed Tajuddin Medical College have expressed concern that eating diseased horse meat can cause serious diseases and even cancer in humans. Regarding the operation, Gazipur District Administration Executive Magistrate Md. Ishtiaq Ahmed said that based on secret information, RAB, police and Gazipur District Administration members conducted a raid in the Mobile area of ​​Hyderabad and seized 5 maunds of horse meat collected for sale from 8 horses. In addition, 37 sick and worn-out horses were recovered and kept in the custody of two local people. In the end, no one was arrested in this incident, so no jail fine could be imposed.