The sacrificial animal markets in Bagerhat have begun to fill up. Thousands of cattle, large and small, have been prepared on farms across the district, but the animals drawing everyone's attention are Ibrahim's two huge bulls, Mama and Bhagne.

The two Holstein Friesian bulls at Najma Dairy Farm in Hakimpur village, Khanpur union, Sadar upazila, weigh 1,100 kg and 1,200 kg. Curious people travel from far and wide to the farm every day to see them.

The two bulls were born on Najma Dairy Farm, owned by young farmer Ibrahim Hossain of Hakimpur, and are now Bagerhat's biggest attraction. They are fed Tk 1,200 to Tk 1,500 worth of food a day and have been fattened entirely by natural means on straw, grass, bran, maize meal and other local feed. Mama is 2 years and 3 months old and Bhagne 2 years and 5 months. Each is about 10 feet long and 6 feet tall.

Farm owner Ibrahim Hossain said: "I have been raising cattle on this farm for about 22 years. This is the first time I have prepared two such big bulls for Eid. Mama and Bhagne are the two biggest cattle in Bagerhat district. Apart from these two, there are 9 more cattle on the farm. I have set an initial price of Tk 8 lakh for Mama and Tk 10 lakh for Bhagne. If I get a fair price, I will sell them."

His mother, Najma Begum, said: "My son started this farm with a single cow. Now there are 11 cattle in all, including the two big ones. Besides feeding them local fodder, we bathe them twice a day and always keep them clean. In the heat we keep fans running for them. The whole family raises them like our own children."

Local resident Munshi Faraji said Ibrahim had raised cattle on the farm since childhood, starting with one cow and now owning 11. "He works very hard on the farm. This is the first time in my life I have seen such big cattle. He has succeeded with this farm," he said.

Bagerhat livestock officer Mohammad Saheb Ali said the district's two biggest cattle were at Najma Dairy Farm in Hakimpur, one weighing 1,100 kg and the other 1,200 kg. "Farmers are fattening their cattle by natural methods as we have advised. We hope they will be able to sell the two bulls at a good price," he said.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.