DHAKA, June 25, 2023 (BSS) - Nagad, the mobile financial service provider of the Bangladesh Post Office, has come up with a smart payment option at cattle haat, offering its customers safe and convenient buying and selling of sacrificial animals.

As part of its efforts to help Bangladesh's transition to a "Smart Nation", such a payment option has been introduced at smart cattle markets. Customers will get attractive gifts alongside a maximum security while making payments using Nagad, said a press release.

Under the initiative taken by the Bangladesh Bank, Dhaka North City Corporation and Chattogram City Corporation, ten smart cattle markets have been set up in Dhaka and Chattogram cities.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock and Bangladesh Dairy Farmers' Association are providing all necessary support to the management of smart haats. Nagad has installed booths and employed skilled staffers in those cattle markets to provide various services to buyers and sellers.

Nagad has taken the lead in every initiative of the government to promote cashless transactions. As part of that, it has been entrusted with the responsibility to ensure cashless transactions at two smart haats in the capital -- Gabtali and Basila -- cattle markets.

People who buy or sell animals for certain amounts through Nagad at both the cattle markets will get attractive t-shirts, caps, mugs, key rings, and pens.

Nagad already conducted awareness raising activities among farmers in different parts of the country prior to setting up of smart cattle haats. Besides, many cattle farmers with trade licenses have been given Uddokta accounts. As a result, they can return home safely after selling cattle as they do not have to carry cash.

Besides, after receiving the money from sales of animals in Nagad accounts, sellers can withdraw cash at the lowest costs from Nagad booths installed at the smart cattle markets.

At the same time, interested buyers can also make cash-in from the booths as required. In addition, cattle farmers can cash in the money they receive through sales of animals in cash transactions, or they can secure it by sending the money to the accounts of their family members at home. Again, one can easily open a Nagad account at the booths located in the cattle markets.

Muhammad Zahidul Islam, head of public relations, Nagad, said, "Nagad always steps up first whenever there is any digital initiative. We're working in solidarity with the Bangladesh Bank's move to make 75 percent of the country's total transactions cashless by 2027."

As part of it, Nagad has arranged an option for cashless payments at smart cattle markets, he said, adding, "We stand by farmers and consumers to make this initiative a success. We believe that cashless transactions using Nagad can provide maximum security and ensure convenience to our customers. This process of cashless transactions will rein in the use of counterfeit notes and will also play an important role in curbing crimes."

Apart from smart haats, online sales of sacrificial animal purchases have got momentum like in the last few years. Every year thousands of cattle are traded on digital platforms. Nagad is one of the customers' choices as a payment method for buying and selling animals online.