<i>Poachers poison to death hundreds of Hakaluki birds</i>
A few of around 500 winter migratory birds that fell victim to poison traps set by poachers on the bank of Hakaluki Haor in Baralekha upazila of Moulvibazar district on Sunday.Photo: STAR
Over 500 winter migratory birds fell victim to poison traps set by poachers on the bank of Hakaluki Haor in Baralekha upazila of Moulvibazar district on Sunday. About 500 ducks and other birds, locally known as lenja hans, pati sorali, bhuti hans and chokchoki fell dead or half dead after eating paddy mixed with poison that the callous poachers put on the bank of the large water body. Seeing the poachers putting some half dead birds in bags, Muktar Hussain, a guard working under the Department of Environment (DoE) in Hakaluki Haor called other guards and caught three poachers red-handed. The poachers -- Liton Miah, 25, Koyes Miah, 35, and Dula Miah, 30, of Judhistirpur village of Fenchuganj upazila, were later handed over to Baralekha police. A case was filed under Environment Protection Law against seven people on charge of poaching birds. The three arrestees have been sent to jail through the court and police is trying to arrest the other absconding bird poachers, said Amol Kumar Dhar, officer in charge of Baralekha police station. Two dead lenja hans were sent as sample to Baralekha upazila livestock office for autopsy. The rest of the poisoned birds were buried in a hole. Ecology of Hakaluki Haor will be threatened if use of poison traps continues to hunt winter birds, said Abdul Malek, officer of DoE in Kulaura upazila.
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