Sixty wild Pati Sorali ducks rescued from illegal trade in Dhaka’s Banani were released into Purbachal wetlands as conservationists warn wildlife trafficking continues despite strict protection laws.
Sixty wild ducks, locally known as Pati Sorali, rescued from the capital’s Banani area have been released into their natural habitat in a joint operation by wildlife conservationists and the Forest Department.
The ducks were released on Saturday at a lake in Sector 11 of Purbachal on the outskirts of Dhaka. The birds had been rescued on Friday afternoon from the Banani graveyard area following a tip-off about their illegal capture and planned sale.
Officials said the ducks had been brought from Gazipur to Dhaka for sale which is prohibited under Bangladesh’s wildlife protection laws.
Inspector Asim Mallik from the Crime Control Unit of the Forest Department was present during the release along with wildlife expert Adnan Azad, convener of the Bangladesh Animal Welfare Association.
Wildlife conservationist Shahana Simu and members of the Bangladesh Animal Welfare Association including Mirza Mohammad and SM Ariful Amin were also present during the release programme.
In addition to the ducks several other rescued birds were released into the wild. These included one parrot, one native dove, one crested myna and 15 scaly-breasted munias that had earlier been rescued from Uttara in the capital.
Adnan Azad said their organisation primarily provides treatment to injured animals and also works to rescue wildlife kept in illegal captivity.
He said the ducks were rescued on Friday based on specific information about illegal wildlife trade in the Banani area.
“These birds are often captured and slaughtered by people who consider them a delicacy. We are very happy that we were able to rescue them and release them back into their natural environment,” he said.
Inspector Asim Mallik said the birds were seized and later released with the support of the Bangladesh Animal Welfare Association.
He added that selling such wild birds is illegal under the Forest Conservation Ordinance 2026.
According to officials wildlife traders often arrange sales through phone communications making it difficult to track them. The latest rescue operation was conducted after authorities set a trap based on intelligence information to intercept the illegal trade.
