High Court orders probe into illegal horse meat trade in Gazipur
The Bangladesh High Court has ordered an official investigation into the illicit slaughter and sale of horse meat in the Gazipur area, following reports of a criminal network passing off the animal products as beef. A bench comprising Justice Ahmed Sohel and Justice Fatema Anwar issued the directive on Sunday, responding to a writ petition that highlighted the public health risks and illegal trade practices exposed late last year.
The court has mandated that the secretaries of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change develop a comprehensive national action plan and guidelines to curb the illegal horse meat trade. These authorities are required to submit a formal report to the court within 90 days. Furthermore, the court ordered an immediate halt to the auctioning or transfer of any horses currently seized during government raids.
The petition was brought by a group of animal welfare advocates, including the Abhayaranya-Bangladesh Animal Welfare Foundation, the A.K. Khan Healthcare Trust, and actress Jaya Ahsan. During the hearing, legal counsel for the petitioners, Sakib Mahbub, detailed the findings of a joint raid conducted in early November 2024 by local administration, the livestock department, Rapid Action Battalion-1, and police. Authorities at that time discovered an industrial-scale operation involving 36 severely ill horses and the carcasses of eight slaughtered animals.
Evidence presented to the court indicated that the animals were kept in abysmal conditions, suffering from severe malnutrition, infections, tumors, and open wounds. The investigation revealed that this diseased meat was being processed and sold to unsuspecting consumers, often mislabeled as beef. Although mobile courts initially intervened, the petitioners argued that authorities failed to sustain oversight, leading to a resurgence of the illegal trade. Concerns were further heightened by reports that some of the confiscated, sickly horses were later sold off at public auctions by officials rather than being humanely managed or disposed of.
The High Court issued a rule asking the government to explain why its failure to effectively address the illegal slaughter and distribution of horse meat should not be declared unlawful. The court directed a broad range of officials, including the chairman of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority, the directors-general of the Department of Livestock Services and the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, as well as the Gazipur Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police, to respond to the rule.
