50 egrets killed after poaching: Three hunters jailed, 2 fined in Natore

A mobile court in Singra upazila of Natore has sentenced three bird poachers to two months in prison and fined them Tk 2,000 each for slaughtering 50 egrets after capturing them from a wetland.

Two others involved in transporting and selling the poached birds in sacks were fined a total of Tk 12,000.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

The mobile court, led by Singra Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and Executive Magistrate Abdullah Al Rifat, conducted the drive around 11:30am today along the Avash road under Dahiya union of the upazila.

Upazila Project Implementation Officer Mithun Kundu and Saiful Islam, general secretary of the Chalan Beel Biodiversity Protection Committee, along with other environmental activists, were present during the operation.

The three poachers are Janab Ali, 38, from Pakuria village, Kahar, 19, and Liton, 30, from Bilpakuria village in the upazia. Failing to pay the fine will result in an additional seven days of imprisonment for them.

The mobile court also fined Abu Hanif, 40, a van driver from Parsiangra Bede village, Tk 7,000, and Hossen Ali, 21, of Bilpakuria village, Tk 5,000 for transporting dead birds.

Singra UNO Abdullah Al Rifat told The Daily Star, "As the water levels in Chalan Beel have started receding, the presence of egrets searching for fish has increased. Taking advantage of this, a dishonest group of hunters is setting traps and indiscriminately killing birds in the beel.

The upazila administration regularly conducts drives against these illegal poachers, and such operations will continue to protect the biodiversity of Chalan Beel."

Saiful Islam stated that a racket had been capturing, slaughtering, and secretly transporting egrets in sacks to sell them at the Parsingra Bede village for the past few days.

The suspects were caught red-handed while loading 50 slaughtered egrets onto the van, he said.

He added that members of their environmental group have been actively working to protect the birds and biodiversity of Chalan Beel since 2012.