Call to form body to probe killing of birds

Inam-ul- Haque, a bird expert, speaks at a press conference at the National Press Club yesterday demanding probe into the killing of birds in Hakaluki haor. The Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon organised the press conference. PHOTO: STAR

BAPA also urged the authorities concerned to take effective measures to avert more killings of birds.

Inam-ul- Haque, a bird expert and convenor of the observation committee on the incident formed by BAPA, said only Lanja hash (pintail) out of six species of ducks in Hakaluki haor, was killed with poisonous food.

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Inam-ul- Haque said this at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club after his visit to Hakaluki haor .

Echoing the Local people's opinion he said that pintails in other beels (water body) of the country are not affected.

Quoting local people Inamul said, poachers mixed poison with boiled rice to kill the pintails. He said killing of birds is still continuing in the haor.

He urged the government and the opposition to come forward to help protect the environment and public health. He said dead birds weighing about 10 tons are floating on water creating pollution and health hazard to the people.

Another specialist Prof. Zakir Hossain urged the government to form an inquiry committee comprising government and non-government representatives to probe the incident.

BAPA General Secretary Abu Naser Khan said it is not yet clear what type of poison was used to kill the birds though Department of Public Health primarily told that it might be a poison of DDT group, a banned insecticides.

Meanwhile, Nurul Karim Nazrul of the Centre for Natural Research Studies (CNRS), working at Hakaluki haor to create awareness among the locals, said they had been campaigning in the haor for three years which considerably reduced the rate of hunting birds by the amateur and professional hunters.

There are more than one hundred water bodies in Hakaluki haor and many people are involved in poaching.