Wild birds on sale
The sale of wild birds is on the rise in Rangamati district, as the authorities concerned turn a blind eye to the illegal practice.
It is an open secret that wild birds are being caught and sold rampantly. But in the absence of proper initiatives by the forest department, unscrupulous poachers and traders have been doing brisk business.
Though Hossain Mohammad Nishad, divisional forest officer (DFO) of CHT South Forest Department in Rangamati, brushed aside the allegations, the selling of birds continues unabated at College Gate, Samataghat, Katapahar Lane Ghat, Reserve Bazar and Tabalchhari Bazar in the town.
While visiting the markets, this correspondent found that a pair of Kalem Pakhi was being sold at Tk 200, middle-size Kura Dahuk at Tk 450, each pair of Kalim Pakhi (Purple Swamphen) and Pathi Has at Tk 500, and Bon Morog (wild fowl) at Tk 800-1200 per piece.
Md Ibrahim, a poacher at Pablakhali in Longudu, said that many other people like him had been hunting wild birds for long time, but he had not seen anyone got punished.
Chunnu Kosai, a bird trader, said: “I maintain contact with bird poachers; they bring them to me, and then I sell them to various people, especially in restaurants.”
The birds are on high demand as the local restaurants serve their meat to customers, sources said.
Passing the blame on to the poachers, Bindu Chakma, manager of Irich Restaurant at Banarupa in the town, said: “We do not catch birds, but sell the meat. If poaching can be stopped, the selling of meat will stop automatically.”
Sucharita Chakma, manager of Kebang Restaurant at Rajbari, has a different version.
She said: “We know that selling of the meat of wild birds is a crime. We just sell those as customers love eating the meat.”
As per the Wildlife (Conservation) Act- 2012, killing, poaching, selling and possessing of any wildlife is a punishable offence. A person violating the act can be sentenced to two years in jail or fined Tk 1 lakh or both.
The punishment will be double if anybody repeats the crime, it says.
Apart from wild birds, venison, meat of wild pigs, big lizards and pheasants are also being sold openly at various markets in the town.
When asked, Md Rezaul Sikder, conservator of forests (CF) in Rangamati, said he did not receive any such information.
He added that he would pass an order to all DFOs to conduct raids against such illegal practices.
He admitted that there might be a nexus between some forests officials and poachers.
“At least 40 percent posts remain vacant. Therefore, we cannot put our whole effort into patrolling the forests,” Rezaul Sikder added.
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