The dog

Published on Sunday, 19 May 2019

I traveled to the Chittagong hill tracts once to explore the area. One beautiful afternoon, I set off to take photographs of the surrounding scenery, my camera in my hand. The intoxicating scent of wildflower and the greenery of the area filled my body and mind with joy. As I was strolling along a ridge-way, I noticed smoke drifting from a nearby tribal house. Being curious, I breezed in the house and witnessed a grisly scene. Two tribal women were grilling a slaughtered dog. They had penetrated a bamboo cane through the dog's anus and protruded it through the open cut on the throat, without removing the skin. One woman was holding the bamboo cane at 45- degree angle, her both hands raised above the head, and another one was stirring the fire set on firewood with a spike. Other dogs of the house were watching the process, seated around the fire.

The stench of the burning dog filled my nostril and made me retch. Despite, I pointed the camera at the spot and pressed the button. Just as they heard the click and caught the flash, they turned around and spotted me with a camera pointing at them. Meanwhile, I had pressed the button a few more times. Thereupon the first woman dropped the bamboo cane penetrated the dog and seized a bamboo stick lying beside her, and the second woman stood, the spike in her hand, both gawking at me. They started to yell at me with a language I didn't understand. Likewise, The dogs began to growl. Then the women and the dogs charged to me. Right away, I tore off the house, with the women screaming and the dog snarling behind me.