<i>Watchmen in Sundarbans on alert as Rash Mela nears</i>
4 deer poachers arrested at Dublarchar
Forest officials arrest these poachers with a slaughtered deer, 600 traps to be used for catching wild animals and two trawlers from Kokilmoni under Sharankhola Range in the Sundarbans yesterday. Photo: STAR
Forest officials arrested four deer poachers from Sundarbans east zone in Sharankhola upazila of Bagerhat on Friday as security stepped up in the entire mangrove forest ahead of Rash Mela at Dublarchar from Tuesday. The officials also seized venison, deer skin, traps, sharp weapons and two trawlers from the spot, Mihir Kumar Do, divisional forest officer of Sundarbans east zone, told reporters yesterday, reports our correspondent in Bagerhat. The arrestees are Bakhtiar Gazi, 30, Poncha Gazi, 25, Dipak Gain, 30, and Pradyut Sarker, 35, of the district. A plainclothes team from Kokilmoni camp of the forest, led by the camp in-charge Ameer Hamza, caught Bakhtiar and Poncha at Bahir Char around 11:00am, Mihir said. They seized a trawler along with 10 kilograms of venison and sharp weapons. Later, the team arrested Dipak and Pradyut and seized another trawler, a deer skin, 500 traps and sharp weapons from the char areas around noon. Earlier on Wednesday, the forest officials held two other deer poachers in the mangrove forest. Sources said, security measures have been stepped up in the entire Sundarbans as poachers become active during Rash Mela near the forest, reports our staff correspondent in Khulna. The three-day festival which begins Tuesday and continue till November 10 at Alorkol of Dublarchar under Sharankhola upazila of Bagerhat. BGB, coastguards, Rapid Action Battalion, police, ansar, forest guards and also intelligence agencies will remain on alert round-the-clock to capture the poachers who will try to enter the venue of Rash Mela in the guise of devotees. According to officials at Sundarbans forest division, poachers killed over 3,000 spotted deer in the world's largest mangrove forest during the last three years at the time of Rash Mela at Dublarchar. There are over one lakh deer in the Sundarbans. This figure includes over 40 thousand barking deer while the rest are spotted deer, said Mihir Kumar Do. Hundreds celebrate Rash Mela at Dublarchar every year through holding various programmes including holy dip in the sea water near the Bay of Bengal at the time of sunrise after the full moon night. Thousands of men, women and children from across the country and also neighbouring India assemble at the place to join the festival. DFO Mihir Kumar said all kinds of water transports carrying the devotees would be thoroughly searched before allowing them to approach towards the venue of Rash Mela.
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