A writ petition has been filed with the High Court seeking a directive to prohibit the sale and trade of horse meat in Bangladesh, following the discovery of an illegal slaughterhouse operation involving severely ill animals in Gazipur.
The Bangladesh Animal Welfare Foundation, AK Khan Healthcare Trust, and actress and animal welfare activist Jaya Ahsan filed the petition on Monday, seeking court intervention against the fraudulent marketing of sick animals as human food.
The petitioners approached the court citing a lack of effective legal action despite multiple reminders to relevant authorities.
The writ seeks directives for resolving previous complaints sent to ministries, initiating proper legal proceedings, and conducting a thorough, time-bound investigation into the illegal horse meat trade uncovered in Gazipur.
The petitioners have also requested that authorities be directed to formulate a national guideline and action plan within 60 days to eliminate such practices, immediately stop the auctioning of confiscated and sick horses, and establish proper facilities or sanctuaries for the care and rehabilitation of rescued animals.
According to reports, in early November 2025, a joint operation by the Gazipur District Administration, the Department of Livestock, Rapid Action Battalion-1, and police uncovered an organised illegal horse meat trading syndicate operating out of a cotton factory that had been converted into an illegal slaughterhouse.
During that operation, authorities recovered approximately 36 severely ill horses, eight slaughtered horse carcasses, and a large quantity of meat prepared for distribution and sale.
The rescued animals were found in extremely unhealthy conditions, suffering from severe malnutrition, untreated infections, open wounds, worm infestations, tumours, and other serious injuries.
Veterinary tests conducted by Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University identified antibiotic-resistant bacteria, parasitic infections, fungal contamination, and suspected tuberculosis infection – a communicable disease transmissible from animals to humans.
The contaminated meat was being fraudulently marketed and sold as food for humans, with the meat labeled as beef in order to mislead consumers, the petition said.
Although authorities announced directives and monitoring systems to immediately stop these activities, there has been no consistency in implementation, the petitioners alleged.
The Bangladesh Animal Welfare Foundation had repeatedly written letters to all relevant government ministries and authorities seeking urgent intervention. On December 29, 2025, a letter was sent on behalf of the petitioners to the relevant ministries seeking effective measures.
As no effective action was taken, the writ was filed in the public interest, the petitioners said.
