Stringent law needed to stop poaching
Under the existing one, Jamal Fakir can be jailed only up to 6 years
Tigers in the Sundarbans are decreasing fast as poachers with the connivance of a section of corrupt officials of forest department and pirates have continued killing the splendid creatures in the world's largest mangrove forest. Besides, destruction of forest resources due to a series of natural calamities threatens survival of the animal. The Wildlife (Conservation) Act-2010 provides maximum 12 years of imprisonment in addition to fine for killing tigers but it is yet to be gazetted for implementation, said DFO (East) Mihir Kumar Dey of Sundarbans Forest Division. Meanwhile, poacher Jamal Fakir in a statement to court on February 17 confessed to his involvement in killing Royal Bengal Tigers by poisoning. He was arrested under Section 26(1) of the Forest Act that keeps provision for maximum six years of imprisonment and a fine of Tk 50 thousand only, Mihir Kumar said yesterday. Surveillance over the forest areas under East Wing has intensified following recovery of four skulls, three skins and 31 kilograms of bones of tigers from Jamal Fakir at Banglabazar under Sharankhola upazila of Bagerhat district on February 16, he said. Stringent law and its implementation is needed to stop poaching, he observed. According to a highly placed source of Sundarbans Forest Division, 15 tiger skins were recovered from November 20 of 2001 to February 16 this year from different places under the East Wing of Sundarbans Forest Division. Six of the tigers were killed by poachers, four by angry mob, four died of old age complications while another was killed by cyclonic storm Sidr. Tigers are also facing problem due to shortage of sweet water and serious food crisis after cyclonic storms Sidr and Aila ravaged the world's largest mangrove forest in 2007 and 2009. "There are 440 tigers including 221 adult ones in the Sundarbans. The Royal Bengal Tigers are decreasing gradually while authorities concerned have no project to protect it," said DFO Mihir Kumar. According to another source of Sundarbans Forest Division, angry mob killed eight Royal Bengal Tigers in the West Wing during last five years.
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