The Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division has rescued 138 turtles of an endangered species in Chattogram. On 4 April at noon, 110 turtles were rescued from Bismillah Fish and Birds Centre and 28 from Reshma Aquarium and Birds Centre in the Station Road area under the city's Kotwali police station.

The turtles are known as the Indian roofed turtle, and locally they are called kari kaitta. Rafiqul Islam Chowdhury, divisional forest officer of the Chattogram Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division, said the turtles are listed in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act, 2012.

He told Jago News that under the law, catching, keeping, selling or transferring turtles of this species is a legal offence, as they are an endangered species. Acting on a tip-off, officials raided Bismillah Fish and Birds Centre and Reshma Aquarium and Birds Centre on Station Road and rescued 138 turtles.

People at the two businesses fled during the raid, and a case will be filed against them in the forest court, he said.

According to the Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division, the proprietor of Bismillah Fish and Birds Centre is Mohammad Shahidullah Chowdhury Rasel, and its director is Md Sakhawat Hossain Khan Kamal.

The two directors of Reshma Aquarium and Birds Centre are Mohammad Alam and Naimul Alam.

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