Forty-five near-extinct turtles rescued in Cumilla have been released in Bhawal National Park in Gazipur. The Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division recovered them from Chauddagram on Tuesday.

On the afternoon of Friday, 15 September, Sharmin Akter, divisional officer of the Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division, Dhaka division, and biodiversity officer Rubia Islam released the turtles into a canal in the park.

Sharmin Akter said that, acting on a tip-off, a drive was carried out on a passenger bus travelling from Chattogram to Mongla, led by assistant conservator of forests Md Mozammel Hossain. The turtles were seized from inside a cork-sheet carton on the bus. They were in the custody of a child, who said they belonged to his maternal uncle.

She said the turtles were to be taken to Mollahat in Bagerhat. On news of the trafficking, the bus was searched in the Chauddagram area of Cumilla with the help of local police and the turtles were seized. As the carrier is "under age", he has been placed under watch with his relatives. The turtles were released in Bhawal National Park on Friday afternoon.

Assistant conservator of forests Md Mozammel Hossain said the seized turtles were of four kinds: sundi kachhim, boro kaichha, holud kaichha and dhum kasim, all near extinct. They were being taken from Noakhali to Mollahat in Bagerhat and were reportedly being smuggled to India.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.