28 cows killed over ‘disagreement with MP’

In a strange incident, 28 cows were allegedly poisoned to death at a farm located in the Northern Governorate yesterday. According to sources, the crime took place at MP Ahmed Al Damestani’s farm in Hamala, where one cow was initially found dead and “by the time a veterinarian reached the farm other cows would also die one after the other”.

The MP stated that the incident was premeditated as the cows kept inside a barn on the other side of the farm weren’t harmed, suggesting that “someone was behind the crime”. However, he refused to accuse anyone at the moment, confirming that the matter was reported to the police, which has launched a probe.

According to Mr Al Damestani, the cows were worth more than BD30,000. The sources suggested that the MP was targeted because he’s leading a campaign to rectify the violations at farms, barns, stables and cowsheds in the area. They said initial information show that the poison was mixed with the water, drunk by the cows. Footage showing the cows falling to the ground one after another at the farm went viral online.

The incident created a wave of anger among social media users, who criticised escalating a personal disagreement to the killing of innocent animals. They called for the quick arrest and trial of the culprits. MP Ahmed Al Damestani is the parliamentary representative of the seventh constituency in the Northern Governorate, which covers the villages of Qurraya, Hamala, parts of Janabiya and Buri.