300 ducks poisoned to death in Gaibandha

Over 300 ducks of a poultry farm at Chhoyani village in Gaibandha Sadar upazila of the district died after eating poisoned paddy yesterday.

Mizanur Rahman, owner of the farm, alleged that his rival Abdul Hai poisoned the birds because of a past feud. He added that the loss could be around Tk 1 lakh.

Mizanur said he set up a poultry farm on the bank of the Manash River where he started rearing 500 ducks of a qualitiy species. He took one Abdul Hai of Mondolerpara village in the upazila as a business partner.

Last year, Mizanur ended the partnership with Abdul Hai following a financial disagreement. A bitter relation developed between the partners over the issue.

On Saturday night, some unknown people spread paddy contaminated with pesticide in and around the poultry farm. The ducks ate the poisoned paddy yesterday morning, and 300 of them died by noon.

Mizanur brought some hundred dead ducks to the Gaibandha Press Club and later filed a complaint with the Gaibandha Sadar Police Station.

Police sent a few of the dead ducks to the livestock office for autopsy. No one was arrested in this connection as of filing of this reprort at 5:00pm.