The goat-man is a real GOAT

Ahmad Chhafa has written "Gavi Bittanta," first published in 1995. 

Since then, it has seen numerous editions and even changed publishers. 

Some have become characters from "Gavi Bittanta" themselves, appearing in pirated editions due to the work's popularity.

Twenty-nine years after the publication of "Gavi Bittanta," we now have "Chhagol Bittanta" (The Goat Chronicles). 

The chronicles are endless on social media. 

Just like the song that goes, "Whatever is written on the pages of this life is wrong, all wrong," today's Facebook pages are filled with goats, goats everywhere.

This word "goat" holds a special place in the hearts of Bengalis. 

We often use goat as an example in conversations. Calling someone a goat can sometimes be a mild rebuke, but it often expresses affection.

When directed at someone distant, it's just criticism, without any severe derogation.

Bengalis also have a fondness for the goat's beard. This, too, is a sign of affection. 

Seeing someone stroking a goat's beard suggests they are tenderly showing their love. However, thanks to Bengali cinema, a person stroking their own goatee is often viewed as sinister. 

Even good people with goatees have become negatively stereotyped.

Nevertheless, Bangladesh's goat production is something to be proud of. According to the minister himself, Bangladesh ranks fourth in the world in goat production. 

Moreover, Bangladesh is seventh in goat meat production worldwide.

Last year, AHM Mustafa Kamal was the finance minister and presented a budget in which he stated that Bangladesh ranks fourth in goat production and seventh in goat meat production. 

Since then, we may have progressed, but we certainly haven't declined.

However, the price of goats has increased significantly, especially those bred specifically for sacrifice. 

This year, there was only one goat in the market which had no second piece.

Today's hullabaloo is about that goat, causing a stir not only in the net world, but also in mainstream media.

The goat's name is reportedly "Mastan" (Gangster). We couldn't verify this from any other source. 

Looking at the young man who bought the goat, there's no reason to think he's a "mastan" or "mastaan." 

However, the way he's shaken things up, elders are saying it's nothing short of the 1973 film "Rangbaaz (Gangster)."

Let's first talk about the goat before we discuss the buyer. 

Without the goat's existence, there wouldn't be so much discussion, and we wouldn't have to sit down to write a "Goat Epic."

First things first.

We can read a bit from a BBC Bangla report: The goat that has sparked so much speculation is the world's largest breed of goat, says Mohammad Imran Hossain, owner of Sadique Agro.

The breed is called "Beetal," and "this is the largest goat ever in Bangladesh," he says.

The much-talked-about grey-brown goat weighs 175 kilograms and stands 62 inches tall. Mr. Hossain claims, "There is only one such goat in Bangladesh."

When asked if it was imported, Hossain said it was purchased from a market in Jashore two months ago.

How did such a goat appear in the Jashore market? He said, "We don't know. But such goats, and large cows, are initially sold in rural markets. We bought it from there and raised it for sale."

"When we received information about it, we immediately sent people to buy it. We liked the goat very much."

The owner of Sadique Agro claims their beloved goat is unique in Bangladesh, taking us into a surreal world free of charge. Thanks to him, we have found such a goat—one that, despite its noble lineage, like the character Majid from "Lalsalu," has an unknown origin. It has no known ancestors or past; it stands alone in the present and, in the future, might fade into oblivion like the Jibanananda's moon sinking on the panchamee.

Some might frown at the mention of Jibanananda Das in the context of goats. However, Jibanananda Das did write about goats in his poetry. 

Actually, not exactly about goats, but they did appear:

"In the morning, the songs of birds hold no deception,

No futility in the lives of light's insects.

The beggar roaming the deceived streets with his female goat—

Finds meaning in the tranquil water cupped in his palm."

The context is different, of course. Rebel poet Kazi Nazrul Islam also mentioned goats in his poetry:

"Externally, as dead as we are alive inside,

In numbers, we grow like cows and goats."

Nazrul was fortunate that animal rights activists weren't as vocal back then. 

Otherwise, he would have faced another backlash for the trivial mention of cows and goats, especially goats.

I don't know if Rabindranath Tagore wrote anything about goats. 

However, we've all heard a supposed story from childhood related to logic. Anyone with a bit of education knows the story about the goat's beard.

Let's not delve into logic but discuss literature about goats. Goat literature, meaning how goats have appeared in our rhymes and poems.

Who else but Sukumar Ray would be at the forefront! Raybabu wrote about the goat's beard:

"The old goat of the priest, on the day it broke its tether and romped around the schoolyard, and chased Shyamlal into a ditch, the next day, in bold letters, it was written on the map of India—

The priest's goat has a one-hand-long beard,

Its beauty is unparalleled!

It danced in the yard yesterday

What happened then, only Shyamlal knows."

There's more from Sukumar Ray. So let's read him again:

"O goat, tell us first

How does the tickling feel?

Where did your tricks go?

Your hopping and skipping pride.

Every day you would charge

Swinging your horns and beard,

O goat, what will you do now?

Come on, butt me if you can."

Another author who has touched the minds of children and adolescents is Sunirmal Basu. 

Let's read his rhyme titled "The Goat of Bhagalpur":

"The goat of Bhagalpur suddenly

Went mad,

With its horns, it chased

Anyone it saw."

Not just Sukumar Ray and Sunirmal Basu! The one who brought modernity to Bengali poetry, Ishwar Chandra Gupta, wrote:

"The delightful, joyous, juicy goat.

Because of you, I have gone mad."

Now the buyer's part. He is now viral. And it caused all the damages. This viral fame has brought trouble for him. Questions arose about his lineage.

However, Sadique Agro's claim has created another complication. 

They say the goat was not sold; an advance of Tk100,000 was paid, but the buyer didn't collect the goat. 

So the goat is still at their farm. Additionally, they claim the goat was sold for Tk1.2 million, not Tk1.5.

Whether it's Tk1.5 or Tk1.2 million, those who can buy such expensive goats will surely have their income sources scrutinised by the NBR. 

Alas! It may unearth illegal assets of these goat owners worth billions. All these consequences may take place only for a goat. 

Then they might have to sing, "Hajar takar bagan khailo panch shikar chhagole (The thousand-taka garden was eaten by a one-and-quarter taka goat)."

But, we have to admit that the goat-man is a real GOAT (greatest of all time). He once again identified a land of corruption and black money cultivation. 

Perhaps, we knew all these, However, GOATS sometimes show us which is real. Benzir is one such example.