As Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha, people in Dhaka have been sharing pictures showing streets flooded with blood-stained water.

Believe it or not, the festival of sacrifice took a gory turn in Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka. It was a rainy Eid there and after few hours of rain the streets were flooded. However, the water-logged streets were red. The blood of the animals slaughtered for the ‘kurbaani’ got mixed with rain water and what happened next left everyone in shock.

Waterlogging in many parts of the city got mixed with the blood following the sacrifices of the animals creating the disturbing scene. The flooded parts of the city gave an impression akin to rivers of blood.

Despite the intermittent showers, citizens thronged mosques, offered prayers and proceeded with the ritualistic goat sacrifice.

Bangladesh’s leading newspaper the Dhaka Tribune reported, “As rainwater built up on the roads of Dhaka and flooded many areas of the capital it got mixed with the blood to create an unusual and gory scene; it appeared as though there were red rivers running across the city.”

The picture of gory Dhaka streets were shared on social media platforms and it drew quick attention. The redness of the picture could let one think it might be photoshopped but no, the pictures were real. Dhaka residents strongly criticised the two city corporations in charge of cleaning the sacrificial waste for this situation. However, a blame game had started by then.

Many said the incident showed how the city corporations had failed to keep the city’s drainage systems functional and had paid no attention to the matter before Eid.

 

The two city corporations designated 1,000 spots – 496 in the north and 504 in the south – for slaughtering animals.

However, from around 7.30am in the morning, many people were seen slaughtering animals in the streets and their convenient places in several areas including Mohammadpur, Mirpur, Shyamoli, Uttara, Dhanmondi, Niketon.

The roads soon filled up with blood and waste.