Every year, as Eid-ul-Azha nears, social media often clamours over the exorbitant prices and unruly yet catchy names of sacrificial animals.
This year that limelight has been on one particular goat, father and son which has since unfurled and curled into a concoction of contradictions.
The widespread attention started with the price of the goat being sold by Sadeeq Agro at an astonishing Tk15 lakh, sparking a mixture of curiosity and controversy over the young man - Mushfiqur Rahman Ifat, who claimed on social media to have bought it.
Eyebrows were raised, and questions were asked about Ifat's financial prowess.
The controversy ignited just a week before Eid, when news broke of Ifat's alleged purchase of the goat for Tk12 lakh, despite initial demands of Tk15 lakh.
Soon he was pointed out as the son of a revenue official.
Whispers of Ifat's connection to National Revenue Board (NBR) official Matiur Rahman began circulating.
‘He is not my son’
Further complicating the narrative, Matiur Rahman vehemently denied any relationship with Ifat.
"Ifat, 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," he said.
He expressed his dismay at the online slander and announced plans to take legal action with the help of the Cyber Crime Investigation Department.
“My only son, Ahmed Towfiqur Rahman Arnab, is studying economics in the US and is now in the country,” he added.
During a television interview, Matiur Rahman said: "I do not have a son named Ifat. I have one son and one daughter. My son's name is Ahmed Toufiqur Rahman and my daughter's is Farhana Rahman.”
“My son is very religious, prays five times a day, and has studied abroad. He left a job worth $100,000 and now lives with us in Bashundhara. The slander that is being spread is reclusive and deeply hurtful,” he added.
‘He is his son’
Despite these denials, evidence suggesting a familial link surfaced.
Matiur Rahman is said to have two wives.
Further fueling the speculations, Feni-2 Member of Parliament Nizam Uddin Hazari has said that Ifat is indeed the son of Matiur Rahman from his second wife, who is the MP’s maternal cousin.
The MP said Matiur Rahman regularly participates in family events with his second wife and may have denied the relationship out of anger.
Son put on a show
As the story gained traction, journalists made their way to Ifat's Dhanmondi residence on 19 June, only to find no one there.
Security personnel of the building said that Ifat had left days earlier and had not returned. Reaching out to him by phone, reporters received an unexpected twist.
When contacted over a phone call, Ifat claimed that the entire episode was a staged act, orchestrated by Imran, the owner of Sadeeq Agro.
He asserted that he did not purchase the goat, but merely played along at the farm owner’s request.
"I did as he said. I did not buy it or bring it to my house," added Ifat.
Sadeeq Agro's response partially corroborated Ifat's claim, noting that while Ifat had made an advance payment of Tk1 lakh, the purchase was never finalised, and the goat never left the farm.
The particular goat is said to belong to one the world's largest breeds, the "Beetal," which stands 62 inches tall and weighs 175 kilogrammes.
Sadeeq Agro, which acquired the goat from a market in Jashore for Tk10 lakh, boasted that it was the largest of its kind in Bangladesh.
The viral video of Ifat's supposed purchase, alongside footage of him buying various other expensive livestock, only added to the sensationalism.
Despite the interest, the goat remained unsold during Eid-ul-Azha. Sadeeq 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.
Owner of the enterprise, 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 12 June, but we haven't been able to contact him since then."
When asked if the advance money would be returned, Imran Hossain said "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."
Further digging into the matter revealed that Ifat had spent approximately Tk70 lakh on livestock from several farms around Dhaka this year - a testament to his declared hobby of collecting beautiful and attractive cattle.
