The High Court today questioned the legality of the government decision to import cattle meat from abroad in spite of its surplus production in the country.

The court issued a rule asking the government to explain in four weeks why the decision should not be declared illegal.

In the same rule, it asked the respondents to show cause why they should not be directed to ensure the standard and quality of the production of cattle meat and food in the country.

Secretaries to the ministries of commerce, fisheries and livestock and religious affairs, director generals of Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institution (BSTI) and department of livestock have been made respondents to the rule.    

The bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader came up with the rule following a writ petition filed by Mosabbir Hossain, a resident from Paharpur in Brahmanbaria, seeking necessary order on the respondents not to open the import facilities of cattle meat from abroad.

In the petition, he prayed to the HC seeking its direction upon the respondents to take initiative to make the cattle farms of all the districts of the country capable of exporting meat abroad.

Mosabbir submitted the petition to the HC recently saying that the government has already taken decision to import cattle meat from abroad but no agreement has been signed yet.

The decision of importing cattle meat from abroad without having any proper testing system is unreasonable and very alarming for public health, the petition said.

In the petition, he included an opinion of Bangladesh Dairy Farmers Association (BDFA) General Secretary Shah Emran who has reportedly said in September that “Imports of beef will be discouraging for farming dairy and beef and it will affect the aspiration to be self-sufficient in milk and meat”.

Barrister Md Kamruzzaman appeared for the writ petitioner while Assistant Attorney General Md Saiful Alam represented the state.