Standing by the unheard
Family, companion and sometimes shadow, these are the various positions that these four legged furry animals hold in our hearts. When night falls in the lake side park of Rabindra Shorobor, a re-enactment of the famous folklore Pied Piper of Hemelin comes into life. The only difference being that here the Pied Piper is a homeless kid riding his rusty bi-cycle and is being playfully followed by a bunch of stray dogs. This bond that the vagrant beings share with these animals recites an untold story of love, loyalty and reliability.
Nevertheless, our society has a rather radical view regarding stray dogs which threaten the very existence of this species. And, this is further exhibited in the recent dog culling drive made by the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) which resulted in the death of numerous street dogs. On further investigation, after the photos of such cruelty went viral on social media, it was revealed that, dog culling never really stopped although the local authorities banned such activities back in the year of 2012. The CCC has been secretly carrying out these drives upon demand by the locals owing to their fear of being bitten by dogs and many other unreasonable excuses. This revolting revelation brought animal lovers to the street demanding the stop of dog culling in the country.
The torture that we are talking about here ranges from poisoning, kicking, beating, and breaking the neck of the animals. And, it doesn't stop there because these homeless animals are mistreated by the pedestrians even when they don't pose any risk to them.
It is to note that, the CCC carried out these drives in violation of the rule pronounced by the Hon'ble High Court Division in the year of 2014 which banned the culling of stray dogs, bull fighting and cock fighting among other inhumane practices, owing to the efforts made by the Animal Welfare Foundations, Obhoyaronno. In addition, section 4 of the Cruelty to Animals Act 1920 specifically states that overdrives, cruelty or unnecessarily beats, or otherwise ill-treatment of any animal is an offence punishable with imprisonment and fine. In spite of such laws being in place and protests by the animal welfare foundations, the end of such callous behaviour against the street animals is yet to see the light of day.
This brings us to the question whether it's time to reevaluate and revisit the anachronistic laws surrounding animal welfare. The 1920 Act subjects the offenders of such heinous crimes to fines as less as fifty to hundred taka and jail time of not more than three months. Needless to say, such an offence deserves higher fines and longer duration of jail time. It is praiseworthy to note that the Cabinet recently approves a draft Animal Welfare Law containing jail term of six months or a fine of Tk 10,000 or both for anyone convicted of animal cruelty. In addition, it must be considered that the fear of rabies can be eradicated if the animals are properly vaccinated and sterilised. However, such a large population of street dogs cannot be vaccinated or sterilised if measures are not taken by the Government.
In an article named 'Awareness of rabies and response to dog bites in a Bangladesh community' co-authored by S. Ghosh and others, it has been suggested that 'additional education and awareness programme and better availability for the provision of post-exposure prophylaxis in Bangladesh' will help in achieving the shift in the society's overall behaviour towards stray animals. This brings us to the suggestion that the government should endeavor to conduct nation-wide campaigns prohibiting the barbarous behavior by locals and authorities towards these animals.
Furthermore, the enactment of laws and articulation of campaigns will be of no use if further stance is not taken to implement them. In this generation, it is unacceptable that lack of proper knowledge is subjecting these innocent animals to such inhumane behaviour. We have to change our attitude not only to better our environment but also to give voices to the unheard. We have to instill the lost empathy and compassion on a mass level, that many of us share with these innocent beings.
Sheikh Amena Jahan
Student of law, University of London International Programmes
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