The little traveller and her feathered companion

Six-year-old Arisha Jahan Arba, a class one student at Shaheed Police Smrity College in Dhaka, drew attention at Kamalapur Railway Station today as she boarded a train for the Eid holidays carrying not a toy, but her pet white cockatoo.

Arba left the capital around 3:30pm with her parents, heading to their ancestral hometown in Kasba upazila of Brahmanbaria district. While her parents packed the usual travel essentials, Arba ensured her bird, affectionately named “Mithu”, accompanied her.

Clutching the bird gently in her hands, the young traveller remained engrossed in caring for her pet as the train prepared to depart. Nearby, her parents kept a watchful eye on both Arba and Mithu.

“I brought Mithu with me because if I left it in Dhaka, it might die without food and proper care,” Arba told The Daily Star.

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Caption Photo: Star

“When I return to Dhaka after the Eid vacation, Mithu will come back with me,” she added.

The unusual travel companion quickly became a source of delight for fellow passengers. Many smiled upon noticing the child and her bird, while three foreign travellers took photos when the train was at Kamalapur Railway Station in Dhaka.

As the train rolled out of Dhaka, heading towards Noakhali district, Mithu remained lively, chirping and moving along with the rhythmic rumble of the journey.

Whenever Arba felt sleepy during the trip, her parents stepped in to look after the bird. The playful cockatoo continued to amuse passengers with its curious movements and antics.