Some people show cruelty to animals as a lack of implementation of animal acts despite there being enough acts in the penal code to protect the lives of animals in our country.
Animal Planet Bangladesh, People for Animal Welfare (PAW) Foundation, Animal welfare activists staged a sit-in protest outside the main gate of Japan Garden City (JGC) in Mohammadpur yesterday, Dhaka, condemning the poisoning of several stray dogs and cats within the gated community.
The tragic incident came to light on Friday evening when the poisoned animals were discovered. Activists said that ten dogs and one cat were killed.
Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed, an actor and activist said, "If something like this happens to people, we form a human chain and seek help. But animals and birds do not have a voice. When they face any problems, they cannot do something about it for themselves. So, we must protest against these incidents of cruelty and arrange for exemplary punishment." She filed a formal complaint with Adabor police station, reporting the recovery of the carcasses of four dogs and a cat. The incident is in violation of the Animal Welfare Act 2019.
The letter also alleged that other carcasses had been hidden to obscure the extent of the poisoning.
In the letter, it was charged that Shahnur Bhuiyan, secretary of the JGC Flat Owners Association, and other association members orchestrated the poisoning.
Despite multiple attempts, Daily Post was unable to reach Shahnur Bhuiyan for comment.
On Friday evening, banners bearing inflammatory messages appeared in various locations inside JGC. The banners, attributed to a group called "JGC Life Safety," included statements such as: “Cull the stray dogs, stop the NGO business”, “To keep JGC clean, send dog leftovers, feces, and urine to dog lovers’ households”, “Send all the stray dogs to dog lovers’ households”.
Dhaka North City Corporation's Deputy Chief Health Officer Dr Md Emdadul Hoque told The Business Standard, "We have heard about the incident. We will have a talk tomorrow to find out what happened and act accordingly. No dog culling programme or any such activity is being run as part of the city corporation."
Some residents had reportedly taken to their social media alleging that stray animals in the residential area had increased in number and that they were violently attacking and biting the children.
Locals said the residents then planned to kill the stray animals.
A Japan Garden City Life Society team then allegedly poisoned a number of dogs and cats recently.
Celebrities, including Jaya Ahsan, Niloy Alamgir, Jannatul Sumaiya Himi, took to their social media handles protesting the brutal killing of animals.
Daily Post could not identify who posted the banners and any members of JGC life safety.
Rubaiya Ahmad, founder of the animal welfare organization Obhoyaronno, accused the JGC authorities of committing a criminal act.
“We have pictorial evidence, and the secretary has admitted involvement. We have concrete proof that the authorities carried out this poisoning,” she told Daily Post.
“This is not the first time JGC has attempted to cull stray dogs,” Rubaiya said, adding that such actions have been going on for years despite efforts to vaccinate and sterilize the dogs.
She also said that 90% of the dogs culled in Dhaka City were in Rampura and JGC.
Mahmud Hossin, Managing Director of Animal Planet Bangladesh said, “Dogs are community animals. They deserve protection, not cruelty. This is a criminal offence, and we will ensure those responsible are brought to justice. We won’t let this slide.
Afzal Khan, known as Robinhood said, thanks goes to those who first appeared in this video on social media. After seeing this video, animal lovers are concerned about this. Law enforcement forces should inquire about this and take proper steps.
Meanwhile, Mahfuz Imtiaz Buhiyan, Officer in Charge of Adabor Police Station, told Daily Post, “A police team went to the spot last night and tried to bring the situation under control. As the police do not cover this law, we asked them (the activists) to file a case in court tomorrow (Sunday).”
Rakibul Haque Amil, another animal rights activist, highlighted the necessity of sterilization and vaccination for maintaining harmony between humans and stray animals.
“Unexpected incidents may occur, but cruelty is never the answer. The authorities could have contacted the city corporation or animal welfare organizations for help,” he said.
Amil recalled that during Ramadan in 2020, the JGC authorities allegedly attempted to drive out stray dogs by beating them. Activists intervened, and the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) later sterilized 10-12 dogs in 2021 or 2022.
A JGC resident, Tanisha Huq, alleged that the authorities have instructed security guards to beat stray dogs. “They seem to think that the laws outside JGC do not apply within its walls,” she said.
However, a security guard named Bodrul denied receiving any such instructions.
Not only in the capital city, Dhaka, there are enough animal act violations in the local area of district level. In the mild winter, guest birds have started coming to Chalanbil. But due to the lack of minimum implementation of the Wildlife Conservation Act, the violence of bird hunters has increased at the beginning of winter. Bird hunters are killing guest birds freely.
It can be seen on the ground that bird markets have been set up in Kundail Bazar of Kundail village of Saguna Union and Dighi Bazar of Dighisguna village of Dighisguna village. Hunters hunt birds all night and bring them to the market in the morning for sale. Apart from this, hundreds of bucks are being sold in Bastul Bazar of Bastul village of Baruhas Union and Paota Bazar of Paota village.
Local administrations sometimes try to recover the rights of animals. Four Sundhi turtles have been rescued from a fish shop in Patuakhali and released into the river. On Sunday night (November 18), the mobile court of the upazila administration rescued the turtles from ‘Ms. Nabila Fish Shop’ in the Launchghat area of the municipal town. The mobile court was conducted by Sadar Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Chandan Kar. He fined a fish trader named Md. Sohel Hawladar Tk 30,000 for buying and selling wild turtles.
Beside, four capped Langur have been recovered from Mirpur while being smuggled abroad. One person has been arrested on charges of involvement in wildlife smuggling.
These wildlife animals were recovered on October 25 night. Abdullah As Sadiq, Wildlife Inspector of the Bangladesh Forest Department, confirmed this information.
Other place, implementation of law created torture like the incident of November 01. A wild elephant died after being electrocuted by a generator wire in Batkuchi village of Garo Pahar in Nalitabari upazila of Sherpur.
In this incident, the Forest Department has filed a case against 11 villagers under the Wildlife Act and sent two of them to jail. The families are living in inhumane conditions as the earning person is in jail and on the run. They demanded the immediate withdrawal of the case and an end to elephant aggression.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, said that Bangladesh is committed to the conservation and proper management of wildlife in accordance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It is working to play a more effective role in species conservation and preventing wildlife trade in accordance with the provisions of CITES.
The Animal Welfare Act of 2019 prohibits the culling or relocation of stray animals in Bangladesh.
Violators face penalties of up to six months in prison, a fine of Tk10,000, or both. The law also holds governing body members of responsible organizations accountable for such actions. The Cruelty to Animals Act, 1920, states, under Section-11, if anyone feeds an animal any medicine or food that is poisonous or harmful, or mixes food with poison or applies poison to the body of an animal or attempts to do so or assists in doing so, which results in the death or permanent disability of the animal or the loss of its normal shape and function, then it is deemed a punishable offence.
Similarly, Section- 16 states that the person committing this offence shall be punished with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or be imposed with a fine not exceeding Tk 50,000 or both.
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