Two Jailed for Attempting Horse Meat Smuggling to Dhaka

In Sirajganj’s Kazipur upazila, two individuals have been sentenced to two months’ imprisonment without parole for attempting to transport approximately 400 kilograms of horse meat for sale. In addition, they were fined BDT 1,000 each.

The mobile court, conducted on the morning of Friday, 20 February, at Meghai Ghat on the banks of the Jamuna River, was presided over by the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), Md. Mostafizur Rahman.

The arrested men have been identified as:

According to officials, the Kazipur administration received intelligence that the suspects were slaughtering horses on the Jamuna riverbank at night and planning to transport the meat to Dhaka via Kazipur. Following verification of the information, a police team from Kazipur Thana maintained overnight surveillance along the riverside area.

The operation culminated when the two men were apprehended while transporting nearly 400 kilograms of boneless horse meat in 11 sacks loaded onto a pickup truck. During interrogation, they admitted to slaughtering eight horses on the Jamuna char (river island) and transporting the meat for sale in Dhaka.

UNO Md. Mostafizur Rahman stated that similar attempts to smuggle horse meat along this route had been thwarted previously. “Under the Animal Slaughter and Meat Control Act, 2011, both individuals have been sentenced to two months’ imprisonment without parole and fined BDT 1,000 each,” he explained.

The operation was carried out in collaboration with Kazipur Thana police and Upazila Livestock Extension Officer Dr. Md. Abdul Ahad. Following the seizure, the confiscated horse meat was destroyed by burial to prevent any public health risks.

This case highlights ongoing enforcement against illegal meat trade and the efforts of local authorities to uphold public health and livestock regulations in Bangladesh.