Stringent wildlife law on the cards

A stringent law is on its way to protect the country's wildlife.
According to a bill placed in parliament yesterday, a person will get two to seven years' imprisonment and will have to pay the hefty fine of Tk 1-10 lakh for killing a tiger or an elephant. A second-time offence will raise the penalty as high as 12 years with fines up to Tk 15 lakh.
State Minister for Land Mostafizur Rahman, who is a former state minister for environment and forests, placed wildlife (conservation) bill 2011 on behalf of the environment and forests minister.
The bill aims to protect endangered animals and plants of Bangladesh.
The state minister said eight kinds of amphibians, 58 reptiles, 41 species of birds and 40 species of mammals were identified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
He said the government in 1972 framed a law for the conservation of the forests but no effective measure was taken for the wildlife.
The bill was sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Environment and Forests for scrutiny and to report to the House within a month.