Six individuals, including a retired army officer, were fined after killing thousands of migratory birds in Munshiganj, raising serious concerns over wildlife protection and ecological balance in Bangladesh.
Six people, including an 81-year-old retired army officer, were caught hunting thousands of migratory birds in Gozaria upazila of Munshiganj district on Thursday, sparking outrage among local residents and leading to significant fines.
Experts note that Bangladesh lies along crucial migratory bird routes, and illegal hunting threatens local biodiversity, including species protected under international wildlife conventions. Environmentalists warn that repeated mass hunting could have long-term impacts on bird populations and the region’s ecological balance.
The group arrived from Dhaka around 10 a.m. in a private car, carrying three shotguns, an airgun and ammunition. They targeted various chars and areas along the Meghna River to hunt birds. By evening, locals discovered seven sacks containing over four maunds, approximately 240 kilograms or 530 pounds, of birds. Angered by the mass killing, villagers intercepted the group near the Eidgah area of Mathabhanga village and held them until law enforcement arrived around 10 p.m.
The accused are Lieutenant Colonel (Retd.) A.S.M. Hadiul Islam Bhuiya, 81, Abrar Uddin Ahmed, 70, Haji Osman Ali, 77, Majharul Haq Qureshi, 70, Abdullah Noor, 72 and Arik Ahmed, 27. Considering confessions and age, Bhuiya was fined BDT 100,000 while the other five were fined BDT 30,000 each. Authorities also confiscated the firearms and 63 rounds of ammunition used in the hunt.
Eyewitness Arman Hossain described the scene, saying, “The way they came prepared for hunting was comparable to a military operation. They had multiple guns and cartridges, and in one day alone they killed thousands of migratory birds. Judging by the weight, the seven sacks contained more than four maunds of birds.”
Local resident Mukhtar Hossain warned, “If so many birds are killed in a single day, our nature will soon lose these species. It threatens the delicate balance of our local ecosystem.”
Lieutenant Colonel Bhuiya said he had no harmful intentions and hunted purely as a hobby, admitting that he had visited Gozaria for bird hunting multiple times in the past.
Gozaria police officer-in-charge Md. Hasan Ali confirmed immediate police action, while Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md. Mahmudul Hasan verified the fines and seizure of weapons, adding that preliminary observations confirmed the incident.
