The safari park in Gazipur is struggling under mismanagement. Animals are dying one after another through the negligence of Forest Department officials and staff, and as the park in Sreepur loses its lustre, visitor numbers are falling steadily.

Founded in 2013, the park was at first popular for the free movement of native and foreign wildlife and as a place of recreation. It was modelled on Safari World in Thailand, with animals roaming in the open while visitors toured in protected vehicles. But various irregularities and neglect gradually dimmed its appeal. Although the government spends crores of taka on it every financial year, mismanagement has made Gazipur Safari Park something of a burden.

Animal after animal has died at the park through mismanagement and neglect. Between January and February 2022, 11 zebras, a tiger and a lioness died; an elephant had died before that. After 5 August, two macaws were stolen from the park. On 15 January 2025 a nilgai went missing and has still not been brought back. On 23 March the same year, three lemurs, an African animal, were stolen. Most recently, two elephants died on 6 and 7 August. When the park was founded, 12 giraffes were brought from abroad and they gave birth to four calves; the giraffes then died one after another, the last in 2025, and the park now has no giraffes. Three kangaroos were brought in 2013, one of which gave birth in 2017; they later died.

According to the park authorities, on the night of 6 August 2018 the Customs Intelligence Directorate and Dhaka Custom House recovered 202 pairs of endangered birds and animals, including lovebirds, cockatoos, macaws, peacocks and two lemurs, being smuggled through Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. They were handed to the Wildlife Crime Control Unit, which passed them to the safari park authorities on the morning of 7 August that year. The rescued lemurs gave birth to a pair of young at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park, the first time in the country. One lemur died in 2022. When three lemurs were stolen on 22 March 2025, the park was left without lemurs. On 18 April a stolen male ring-tailed lemur was recovered in a drive at Shyambazar in Dhaka. Several media outlets reported that the other two lemurs had been seen in India.

The lemurs are believed to have been smuggled out with the connivance of the park authorities. Investigators arrested Nipel Mahmud, a close relative of the park's then officer-in-charge Rafiqul Islam. Nipel Mahmud was an outsourced employee whom Rafiqul Islam had appointed. Park officials say they do not know where he is now.

Since the park was founded, the main gate and various attractions have been leased out, but with the collusion of the park authorities the Forest Department failed to collect about Tk 8 crore in lease money during the previous government. It has done little more than file cases to recover the crores owed. Although the park was meant to be run through leases from the start to earn revenue, crores of taka in lease arrears have built up because the Forest Department did not act responsibly.

There are allegations that Forest Department officials took improper benefits and gave lessees various ways to evade government revenue. Although the main gate and core safari could be leased for Tk 5 crore a year, since the Covid pandemic the department has run them itself, saying no lessee could be found.

The park area takes in 3,810 acres of the Bhawal sal forest. In such a large park, visitors have nowhere to shelter from sun or rain, and many leave tired and annoyed. There are also complaints that the food courts inside charge too much for food and water. The children's park, Lion Restaurant and Tiger Restaurant are already closed. As the park keeps losing its appeal, visitor numbers keep falling. With no surveillance inside, various kinds of antisocial activity also take place. On 29 August park employees attacked visitors inside the park, injuring several people, and a case was filed.

The park's officer-in-charge, Tarek Rahman, said managing the park with so few staff is truly difficult, but they are trying. It would be easier to work if a lessee could be found, he said.

M K M Iqbal Hossain Chowdhury, divisional forest officer of the Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division, said the park could not be leased because the expected bids did not come in despite several tender notices. The park also suffered various damage after 5 August, he said, and the Forest Department is continuing its efforts to overcome it.

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