The government has reportedly lost Tk 2.5 crore due to an unusual and significant drop in the lease value of the Gupi Roy cattle market in Nikli, Kishoreganj. While the market was leased for Tk 3,75,50,800 last year, the lease for the current year has been finalised at only Tk1.25 crore.
Local residents have expressed concerns, noting that while the lease value typically increases annually, this 67 per cent decrease is highly irregular. Despite regulations allowing for three rounds of tendering if the expected price is not met, the lease was reportedly settled during the first advertisement.
Established in 2009 in Jaraitola Union, the Gupi Roy market sits every Wednesday and has grown to become the largest cattle market in the Kishoreganj district, attracting traders from various regions. Locals maintain that the market’s financial potential and volume of trade have increased rather than diminished.
The lease was awarded to Mokarram Sarder, the ousted chairman of Nikli Upazila Parishad. Sarder, who had been under pressure following the political change on 5 August 2024, has recently become active in the area again.
When questioned, Nikli Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Rehana Mazumder Mukti told TIMES of Bangladesh that the lease was granted to the highest bidder in accordance with the rules. She further claimed that the high lease amount from the previous year was an exception.
Mokarram Sarder stated that he submitted his bid of Tk1.25 crore after careful calculation and received the lease as the highest bidder. However, he declined to comment on why the lease value had dropped so drastically compared to the previous year.
