The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change has initiated legal action against those who set up farms and pet bird shops without obtaining licences.

In a notice issued yesterday, the Divisional Forest Officer's Office, Wildlife Management, and Nature Conservation Department in Dhaka urged all pet bird shop owners to urgently obtain licences to operate their businesses legally.

According to Rule 4 of the Pet Bird Management Rules, 2020, no farmer may produce, rear, set up farms, buy or sell, import or export pets, or operate a pet bird shop without obtaining a licence.

Violators will face penalties under the Wildlife (Conservation and Protection) Act-2012, which include imprisonment for up to one year, fines of up to Tk 50,000, or both.

This move follows instructions from Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, who directed the Forest Department to take legal action against the existing irregularities in Dhaka's bird market in Katabon during a meeting on August 14.