A huge bull named "Zayed Khan" was the centre of attention in Lalmonirhat ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. But the owner did not sell it in the end as he did not get the price he hoped for. Farm owner Advocate Mojmul Pramanik has decided to sacrifice the bull he raised with great care himself.

The bull grew up on the farm of lawyer Mojmul Pramanik in the Doulajore area of Aditmari upazila in the district. He has been preparing animals for sacrifice for several decades. This Eid, one bull on his farm drew the most attention, lovingly named "Zayed Khan".

Its body is a striking mix of white and black. The Burma-breed bull is as bad-tempered as it is handsome.

Measured with a tape, the bull is about five and a half feet tall and 9 feet long, with a chest or belly girth of nearly six feet. When it stands with its huge body, many crowd round to take a look. It has not yet been weighed on a scale, but experienced cattle traders and wholesalers who came to the farm estimate from its size that it would easily yield 26 to 27 maunds of net meat.

According to the farm, the Burma-breed bull was born through artificial insemination, using semen of an improved breed on a cow of another breed, and was raised with great care on local feed. Two people are employed on the farm to look after Zayed Khan around the clock.

Taking such a huge bull to market could leave it injured at any time, and it could also become exhausted and lose weight in the heat and crowds. Fearing this, the owners decided to sell it from the farm rather than take it to market. But the one or two buyers who came to the farm before Eid did not offer the expected price.

Jony, the younger brother of farm owner Mojmul Pramanik, said the bull was not sold because they did not get the price expected for its looks and size.

"We raised the bull with great care for seven long years," he said. "Since we could not get the price we wanted, we have decided to sacrifice it ourselves."

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