The blacksmith shops, mainly in Karwan Bazar are now working day and night to cope with the demand for knives during the festival, when hundreds of thousands of sacrificial animals will be slaughtered. The blacksmiths will work non-stop till the morning of the Eid.

Although the blacksmiths said business was not 'that good' compared to last year, demand for butcher knives, sacrifice knife, carver, paring knife, slicer, skiver and small axe are on nonetheless huge.

"Our customers come to us after they have bought the cattle. Hopefully we will do good business on the eleventh hour," said Abdul Awal, proprietor Dhaka Karmoker at Karwan Bazar.

The blacksmiths claimed that unlike other Eid items they have not raised their prices despite a price hike of raw materials.

The largest blacksmith market in the city Karwan Bazar Karmaker Shed Market is now busy mainly for sharpening the old knives and other accessories. Some other markets of this genre in the city can be found in Khilgaon, Moghbazar, Mohakhali, Mohammadpur Town Hall Market, Tongi, Noyabazar, Rayer Bazar and Dolaikhal.

"We have completed manufacturing the knives earlier as we have to remain busy for the sharpening and repairing on the last moment," said Amir Hossain, another businessman at Karwan Bazar.

Price of a knife for slaughtering ranges between Tk 250 and Tk 300, a small axe is between Tk. 150 and Tk 300. Many other accessories are sold by their weights.

Makeshift markets for other accessories for the Eid sacrifice have also sprouted in the city. Roadside vendors are busy selling logwood, mats, hey and fodder at many places in the city.

"Last year I lost money on my business, still I came to the city this time, hopefully I will see some profit," said Omar Ali Sheikh, a logwood businessman from Rajbari, who has been seasonally coming to the capital for the last nine years.

Many of the customers at the Karwan Bazar markets are seasonal butchers who rush to the capital every year during the Eid to help butcher the sacrificial animals.

"Every year we come during the Eid-ul-Azha for finding butchers' job. We need to be equipped for it," Al Amin, a day laborer and seasonal butcher who comes Dhaka every year with a group of friends from Jamalpur.

"The quality of the knives and other accessories is deteriorating day by day," said Safiqul Alam, a customer in the market.