A camel, the "ship of the desert", is the special attraction of this year's sacrificial animal market in Cumilla. The huge animal, named "Sultan", is being reared at an agro farm in Sadar Dakshin upazila.

With news that a camel has come to the district for Eid sacrifice for the first time, hundreds of visitors crowd the farm every day to get a look at it.

In Laxminagar village of Cumilla Sadar Dakshin upazila stands an eye-catching bungalow. There, in 2017, a three-storey livestock farm called Rafi Agro was set up, rearing animals of many breeds. Two months ago, ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, a camel was added. From morning to evening visitors throng the bungalow to see it, and the farm now looks more like a zoo. For the visitors, the camel is kept outside the farm.

Farm workers spray the camel with water to clean off the dirt. It stands more than 10 feet tall and weighs over 22.5 maunds. After cleaning it is tied up on the road beside the house, where young people from different areas look at it in wonder. Some touch it, some take selfies with it, and the camel stands quietly like a celebrity while they take pictures, much to the visitors' delight.

The farm also has gayal, buffalo and more than a hundred local and foreign cattle ready for sale, as well as more than a hundred pigeons. Each cow is priced from Tk 80,000 to Tk 7 lakh.

Visitors Saiful Hasan Shuvo, Parvez Hossain Anik and Md Rifat said they had seen camels only online and never in real life. Hearing from friends that a camel had arrived, they came to see it and even touched it. They enjoyed it very much and found it a very calm animal.

Caretaker Sumon Islam said the camel came to the farm two months ago. At first they were afraid, not knowing how to look after it, but gradually they became friends and it now listens to them. They named it Sultan. It likes sand and sunshine. Although they give it maize, wheat and durba grass, Sultan's favourite is thorny food. It has to be given at least 40 litres of water a day, he said, and hundreds of people crowd the farm daily to see it.

Rafi Agro Farm owner Juel Ahammad said his farm has gayal, buffalo and various local and foreign cattle, and he began fattening cattle there in 2017. This year, as a hobby, he brought the camel from Rajasthan in India. It weighs more than 900 kg. He will sell it if he gets Tk 32 lakh. Buyers have started coming, but no one has yet offered the price he hopes for. If it is not sold at the farm, he will take it to the market in a day or two.

He said camel farms could be set up not only in Saudi Arabia but in Bangladesh too, but the livestock office needs to be more sincere. In nine years no government veterinarian or official has visited his farm, and they cannot be reached by phone for treatment, so he has had to keep a private vet.

Cumilla District Livestock Officer Mohammad Samsul Alam said they regularly provide treatment for cattle and other animals. If Rafi Agro Farm submits a written complaint saying from whom it sought service and did not get it, they will take the necessary action.

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