Wild bird sale rampant in Sylhet city

Tk 300! Only Tk 300 each!

Screams Shuhag Mia while showing his catch to the passersby.

Sometimes he also shakes the birds, hanging upside down, with their legs tied together.

“It's a profitable business,” says the 39-year-old, “I catch them from the haors, then sell in different areas.”

“But there are risks too. The law enforcers might catch us. So, I mostly sell to the people I know,” smiles the bird trader from Sylhet city's Bondorbazar area.

Shuhag is not the only bird seller in the area. Illegal poaching and selling of birds are going on unabated in Sylhet city despite numerous drives by the law enforcers.

The traders start selling the wild birds after 4:00pm, said the locals.

While visiting many areas including  Zindabazar,Kumargaon, Boteshwar and Haripur, this correspondent saw many traders were busy selling herons, martins and doves out in the open.

“I came here to buy a bird for my son but the traders are charging too much,” complained Mohorom Mia, a resident of Bondorbazar. When asked why he was supporting this illegal act he did not answer.

“I don't need much investment to sell birds, as I catch them by myself,” said a trader, seeking anonymity.

The forest department has been trying to stop the illegal bird selling, but the traders continue to sell them openly, alleged locals, adding that their numbers were also increasing.

“We have recovered 10 migratory birds from two traders in Virobganj of Moulvibazar last month,” said Mihir Kumar Doe, divisional forest officer (DFO) of Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Department.

Twenty martins (shalik), 23 doves (ghughu) and 11 herons (bok) were released by a mobile court and the forest department last month in Sylhet city, said Md Mostafizur Rahman, executive magistrate, who led the court. He said they would continue their drives.

“The traders sell birds in front of the law enforcers. But they are not being arrested,” alleged Abdul Karim Kim, general secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon, Sylhet chapter. Strict measures need to be taken to stop this, he said.

As per the Wildlife (Conservation) Act-2012, killing, poaching, selling and possessing of any wildlife is a punishable offence, he stressed.

When asked, RFM Monirul Islam, DFO of the Sylhet Forest Division, said, “We're continuing our efforts, but we also want residents' help. They should inform us about the traders.”

“All of us have to be aware in this regard. Birds are important for the environment and ecology. If we stop buying from the traders, they will be forced to stop,” said Sharif Jamil, joint secretary of Bapa.

He recommended that the authorities concerned launch awareness campaigns against poaching and selling of birds.