The buzz on social media this Eid-ul-Azha revolves around a goat priced at an astonishing Tk15 lakh, intended for sacrifice at an agro farm in Dhaka. This exorbitantly priced goat has captured widespread attention, sparking a mixture of curiosity and controversy.
Many on social media claimed that the goat was purchased by the son of a revenue official.
However, the National Revenue Board (NBR) official, Motiur Rahman, denied this, saying: "Iffat, the person being talked about, is neither my son nor even a relative or acquaintance. My only son's name is Toufiqur Rahman. I will formally protest these rumours."
Why is the price tag Tk15 lakh?
Regardless of the buyer's identity, many are questioning why a goat is priced at Tk15 lakh.
Mohammad Imran Hossain, the owner of Sadik Agro, said that the goat in question is of the world's largest breed, named Beetal. He claims it is the largest goat ever seen in Bangladesh, reported BBC Bangla.
Describing the grey-brown goat, Imran Hossain said it weighs 175 kg and stands 62 inches tall. He added: "This rare breed of goat is the only one of its kind currently in Bangladesh."
When asked if the goat had been imported, he said: "We bought it from a market in Jessore about two months ago."
On how the goat ended up in the Jessore market, he said: "We don't know that. However, such goats and large cows are often initially sold in village markets. We buy them from these markets and then rear them for sale. When we got information about this goat, we immediately sent people to buy it because we liked it a lot."
He claimed that the purchase price of the goat was Tk10.35 lakh, with additional expenses bringing the total to Tk15 lakh.
Imran Hossain also mentioned the importance of breed and lineage in the high price. When asked to elaborate on lineage, he said: "For goats or cows of good lineage, a certificate is shown to the buyer at the time of sale."
Goat unsold
Despite the interest, the goat remained unsold during Eid-ul-Azha. Sadik Agro officials claimed that although they initially asked for Tk15 lakh, they had agreed to sell it for Tk12 lakh. However, the buyer did not follow through, leaving the goat still at the farm.
Imran Hossain said: "The young man did not take delivery of the goat. He booked it with an advance of Tk1 lakh and was supposed to pay the rest and take it on June 12, but we haven't been able to contact him since then."
When asked if the advance money would be returned, Imran Hossain told BBC Bangla: "We can't contact him. If he has a valid reason, we will refund his advance. But if he did this to play tricks on us, we will have the money forfeited. Many others wanted to buy this goat, but we couldn't sell it to them because he had booked it."
