The killing at Hatbila Beel has triggered public outrage, with wildlife officials saying the slaughter of egrets and mynas is a punishable offence and calling for legal action.
Videos showing the trapping and slaughter of egrets and mynas in a village in Bangladesh’s northern Natore district have spread across social media, with a witness saying the incident took place about a week ago and that at least 400 birds were killed.
The videos began circulating on Facebook on Saturday morning. In two clips, lasting 20 seconds and 27 seconds, four men are seen using traps in a wetland area to catch egrets and mynas before slaughtering them and piling the dead birds under a palm tree. Several other people were seen at the scene, but no one stopped the hunters.
Local resident Mahir Uddin said the video was filmed last Sunday at Hatbila Beel, a wetland in Hatbila village. “The video was taken last Sunday from Hatbila Beel. But it spread on social media for the first time today. Although an organised group openly killed 400 birds, no action was taken. Those involved shared among themselves the birds killed with a snare net,” he said.
After the videos spread across Facebook pages, many users expressed anger and condemnation in the comment sections and demanded punishment for those involved. Some described the bird hunters as enemies of the country.
A witness to the incident, speaking on condition of anonymity, told this correspondent that the bird killing took place on July 19 in a wetland in Hatbila village under Khajura Union of Naldanga upazila in Natore. The witness said Biplob Talukder, Ashik Hossain, Islam Hossain and Sajib Hossain of Hatbila village were present at the hunting site.
The witness said the number of slaughtered birds was between 400 and 500, and that the birds were removed to different places after being killed.
Biplob Talukder and Ashik Hossain, who were named in connection with the incident, could not be reached for comment despite repeated calls to their mobile phones, which were found switched off. Local sources said those involved had gone into hiding since the videos spread.
Naldanga Upazila Nirbahi Officer Al Emran Khan, the chief local government administrator in the sub-district, said he had heard that videos of the bird hunting had gone viral. He said no action had been taken because no specific complaint had been received, but added that the matter was being looked into.
Jahangir Kabir, wildlife inspector of the Rajshahi office of Bangladesh’s Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division, said mynas and egrets are friends of nature.
“Killing these birds is a punishable offence. Legal action should be taken against those involved,” he said.
Source: The Daily Prothom Alo
