Dolphin killed in Halda River
Locals allegedly slaughtered a Gangetic dolphin (Platanista gangetica) in Halda River to death in Raozan upazila of Chattogram this morning.
The brutal murder of the endangered mammalian species took place at Zia Bazar area in Urkirchar union adjacent to the river, reports our correspondent.
The dolphin weighs 52 kilogrammes and is five feet two inches long, said Dr Manzoorul Kibria, an eminent Halda researcher.
"This is first ever incident of such brutality. The dolphin seemed to have been entangled in a fishing net. Later it was brought ashore and slashed to death for its fat, which, according to popular belief, cures health complications of woman," he said.
"This is a bad omen for the mammals. We urge authorities concerned to seriously look into the matter and find those involved in the barbaric act," the researcher also said.
Twenty-four dolphins have died in Halda River since September 2017 till today, he added.
Junayed Kabir Sohag, Raozan upazila nirbahi officer, told The Daily Star that they came to know about the incident but were yet to know how it happened.
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