Besides home consumption, rabbit meat and skin can be exported at good prices. These have is good markets in Japan, Australia, Middle East, United Kingdom, US, Maxico and Russia.

It is easy to rear rabbits. But the prospective sector is not growing in the country due to lack of attention, either by the government or by NGOs.

Rabbit raring was started in Muktagacha in 1997 with 10 pairs, distributed among ten families. Within a short time the farming spread to many villages in the upazila.

Muhammed Ali Khosru, Executive Director of Jalal Nagar Development Porgramme (JNDP), a local NGO, initiated rabbit rearing in the area with inspiration from Dr Sandra Luemark, an official of CARE.

Talking to this correspondent, Khosru said rabbit rearing is easier than poultry farming.

One kilogram of rabbit meat is sold at Tk 110 to 120 in the country and at Tk 250 in foreign markets.

"Parties from Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna and Sylhet come to Muktagacha every week to buy rabbits but we can not meet their demand, which is at least 1000 kgs a week", Khosru said.

Chinese restaurants are the main buyers.

Local consumption is very insignificant because of superstition.

The situation is however changing. Rabbits are now sold at a market at Muktagacha upazila headquarters every Tuesday, he said.

Luxurious leather goods, fashionable garments and handicrafts are produced from rabbit skin, which have good markets abroad.

Khoshru said processing of a rabbit skin costs only Tk 25 in any tannery in Dhaka. A processed skin can be sold at Tk 250 in foreign markets.

Rabbit stool is also a "cold fertilizer" for vegetable fields and croplands. It is a good bio-fertiliser and can also be used as fish feed, said a source at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU).

Bio-fertiliser produced from stool of 10 rabbits is enough for a five-decimal cropland, the source said.

Around 1800 families in 30 villages in Muktagacha rear rabbits now. The villages are Laxmi Khola, Nasdibari, Pratungi, Mondol Sen, Kalibari, Lengra Bazar, Chechua, Padurbari, Balbari, Pratungi, Kuripara, Raghunathpur, Sreepur, Mujati, Tarati, Adpakia, Roarchar, Roythura, Shimla, Monirambari, Tarakandi, Sonargoan, Daugoan, Kath Bowla, Gupinathpur and Kasimpur.

"I initiated rabbit rearing to create income generating activities for poor families because it needs very small investment and space. The poor villagers earn profit. But many of them are now losing interest as they do not get treatment facilities for diseases.

Rabbit farmers should be trained. The breeding system can also be developed through experimnet, Khosru added.

Rabbit farming can be an industry like poultry and earn foreign exchange if the government's Livestock Department takes up appropriate steps to promote this, he said. This can be a good source of income for the rural poor.

Three rabbit species are now reared in Muktagacha villages. These are New Zealand White, New Zealand Red and Asgor. Our local variety can be developed through cross-breeding, the sources said.