Turtles return home

The pond at Bayezid Bostami Shrine (top) was cleansed of toxins last week through pumping out water that was contaminated after unscrupulous elements poured poisonous chemicals into it on May 11, endangering the lives of turtles living there for years. To save the rare species, the authorities shifted them to other ponds by truck the next day (bottom left and middle). Visitors feed the turtles (bottom right) after they were brought back to the pond last week. PHOTO: STAR

Over 600 turtles were moved to three other ponds in the neighbourhood as the unidentified miscreants pour pesticide into the pond of the holy shrine on May 11, official and shrine committee sources said.

Those turtles have been shifted to the host pond of shrine in two phases few days ago after the pond was filled with fresh rainwater.

They are the objects of worship to the followers and devotees of the medieval Persian holy saint Hazrat Bayezid Bostami.

Sultanul Arefin Hazrat Sultan Bayezid Bostami came to this port city of Chittagong some 1200 years ago and the turtles are fairies and genies considered as incarnations of the holy man's followers.

The water of the shrine pond became polluted following the poison attack. The polluted water was pumped out of the pond and rainwater stored up after treatment to allow a comfortable habitation of the turtles, committee sources said.

"Water of the pond is now safe for the turtles as it were treated," said Tapan Dey, divisional forest officer of Forest Research Institute.

"We hope life of the turtles will not be threatened anymore," Tapan added.

"The turtles at this pond of the holy shrine again began to draw attention of the devotees. Initially, they took very little food provided by the devotees, but in two days they became normal," said Khurshid Alam, a member of the committee.

"I think due to relocation, the turtles took time to adjust with new water of the pond," he added.

Meanwhile, the probe body on the poison attack submitted its report to the local administration last week.

The report said that the pesticide was poured into the pond with a motive to kill the rare turtles.

It suggested the authorities concerned to take measures to check pollution of pond water and keep a watch on the visitors entertaining the turtles with foods.

Police were deployed to guard the shrine pond after the poison attack that made most of the turtles sick and left huge fishes dead.