In Hatibandha, Lalmonirhat, a bull named Rajababu is ready for sale at Eid-ul-Azha. Farmer Shamim Hossain has raised the Holstein Friesian animal at his home for the past three years. The bull weighs about 16-17 maunds and has been priced at Tk 8 lakh to Tk 9 lakh.

Shamim Hossain, son of the late Achher Ali of No 1 Burasardubi village in Fakirpara union, raised a small calf as a hobby over three years. Rajababu, black and bad-tempered, cannot be held by anyone when angry, but he calms down with a body rub and Malbhog bananas. Shamim Hossain and his wife Lipi Begum have lovingly raised him at home, and Lipi Begum thinks of him as her own child.

He hopes to sell Rajababu for Tk 8 lakh to Tk 9 lakh at the coming Eid.

Rajababu's feed costs Tk 800 to Tk 1,000 a day. Nothing artificial has been used; he is fed naturally on oil cake, maize, bran, bananas, rice, and straw and grass.

"We have no farm," Shamim Hossain said. "We raised this bull from small as a hobby and it has grown very big. At the coming Eid we want to give Rajababu to whoever pays the right price. His favourite food is Malbhog bananas. Give him bananas and scratch his body and he calms down. I want to sell Rajababu to redeem our mortgaged land."

His wife Lipi Begum said: "I raised Rajababu like a child. If someone kindly pays us a fair price, we will use that money to redeem our land. I don't want to sell our beloved Rajababu, but we have to for the money."

Local resident Babul Hossain said: "Shamim bhai is raising a huge bull in this remote area. We have never seen such a big animal here. I came to see him as soon as I heard his name was Rajababu."

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