"Killing it will not do. A reward of Tk 50,000 will be given to anyone who can catch a venomous Russell's viper alive in an environmentally sound way."
With this change of position, Faridpur district Awami League president Shamim Haque and general secretary Ishtiaq Arif clarified the reward. The information came in a press release signed by district Awami League office secretary Syed Ali Ashraf Piyar on the evening of Friday, 21 June.
Earlier, on Thursday afternoon, the Russell's viper menace came up under miscellaneous business at a meeting to prepare for the district Awami League's founding anniversary. News reports followed in various media, all of which said that anyone who could kill a Russell's viper in the Kotwali police station area would receive a Tk 50,000 reward.
Forest and environmental activists objected, after which the district Awami League clarified the matter.
What the press release says
The press release said the Russell's viper and remedies in the public interest were discussed under the "miscellaneous" item of the agenda at the founding anniversary preparatory meeting of the Faridpur district Awami League executive committee. At one point, district president Shamim Haque and general secretary Shah Mohammad Ishtiaq Arif announced that anyone in Faridpur Sadar upazila who, wearing protective clothing and taking every precaution, could catch a Russell's viper alive in the public interest would be rewarded with Tk 50,000. Unfortunately, because of a misunderstanding, the remark was published in distorted form on Facebook and other social media as "if you can kill the snake", which is very regrettable, the release said.
District general secretary Ishtiaq Arif said it may have been a mistake in how it was said or how it was understood. "Although venomous, these snakes are part of the ecosystem. But people in Faridpur's char areas are now very frightened, so we made this announcement to make everyone careful. Snakes must not be killed; anyone who catches one alive will be rewarded," he said.
Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.
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