A touching gesture by Sohag Mridha, a farmer from North Jhatibunia village in Patuakhali’s Mirzaganj upazila, ended with quiet disappointment as BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia declined to accept his prized sacrificial bull, ‘Kalo Manik’. Instead, she requested that Sohag perform the Qurbani in his local area with fellow party activists.

On Thursday, June 5, Sohag set off for Dhaka early in the morning with the massive black bull, hoping to present it to Khaleda Zia as a heartfelt Eid-ul-Adha gift. He traveled with three mini trucks, decorated with banners and accompanied by music and supporters wearing matching t-shirts.

Despite the elaborate journey and noble intent, Khaleda Zia did not accept the animal. According to BNP Standing Committee Member Dr. AZM Zahid Hossain, both Khaleda Zia and acting chairman Tarique Rahman expressed their sincere gratitude for Sohag’s devotion. They sent Eid gifts to Sohag and his family in appreciation but encouraged him to celebrate Eid in his own community.

‘Kalo Manik’—weighing approximately 1.4 tons, 10 feet long and over 5 feet tall—had become a local sensation for its sheer size and shiny black coat, earning its affectionate name. At one point, the bull’s value was estimated at 1 million taka, but Sohag refused to sell it, reserving it solely for his dream of gifting it to his political leader.

Sohag shared, “Back in 2023, I saw a news report about a farmer who gifted a cow to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. That inspired me. I told myself, if I ever have the chance, I would gift a bull to my leader, Begum Khaleda Zia.”

The story of ‘Kalo Manik’ began in late 2018 when Sohag purchased a Friesian cow for 137,000 taka from the local Chaita market. Within a week, the cow gave birth to a calf—the very calf that would grow into Kalo Manik. Over the next six years, Sohag and his family raised the bull with care, feeding it locally sourced feed, green grass, husk, and bran.

Sohag’s mother, Hajera Begum, expressed her pride, saying, “It was his heartfelt wish to offer this to Khaleda Zia. We supported him. His father is no longer with us. He supports our family through farming.”

His wife, Sultana Akhter Polly, added, “Kalo Manik and our youngest son are the same age. We raised them with the same love and attention. It was my father-in-law’s dream to gift the bull to Khaleda Zia, and we stood by that dream.”

Local BNP leader Rafiqul Islam described Sohag as a dedicated party activist. “With the support of his family, he raised the bull with incredible devotion,” he said.

Though Khaleda Zia ultimately did not accept the symbolic gift, Sohag’s story has resonated widely—as a testament to grassroots loyalty, personal sacrifice, and unshakable political devotion.