The High Court has issued a rule asking why the negligence and inaction of the authorities over the deaths of 11 zebras and a Royal Bengal tiger, which fell ill and died between 2 January and 29 January at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park in Sreepur, Gazipur, should not be declared illegal. The rule also asks why directions should not be given to protect wildlife.

The environment and forest ministry secretary, the chief conservator of forests, the park's project director, the assistant conservator of forests, the Dhaka divisional forest officer, the Gazipur deputy commissioner, the superintendent of police, the officer-in-charge (OC) of Sreepur police station and the assistant commissioner (land) have been asked to respond.

A bench of Justice Md Khasruzzaman and Justice Mahmud Hossain Talukder issued the rule on Sunday (13 February). The court also ordered submission of the report of the committee formed to investigate the deaths of 12 animals, including zebras and a tiger, at the park.

Lawyer Ataullah Nurul Kabir argued for the writ petition, and Assistant Attorney General Farhana Afroz represented the state.

Advocate Ataullah Nurul Kabir confirmed the order to Jagonews. The writ was filed on 2 February, and the court gave today's order after hearing it.

The lawyer said the High Court sought the report of the ongoing probe into the deaths of more than a dozen wild animals at the park, and asked the probe committee to finish its work immediately. The bench issued the order and rule after hearing the writ challenging the inaction and failure of those concerned over the deaths of 11 zebras and a Royal Bengal tiger.

The rule asks why the authorities' inaction and failure in conserving and managing wildlife at the park should not be declared beyond their lawful authority, and why they should not be directed to take the steps needed to finish the probe quickly and to take visible measures to protect wildlife.

Ataullah Nurul Kabir said Supreme Court lawyer Harun-or Rashid filed the writ with the relevant High Court section on 2 February, attaching media reports. At that time, the deaths of 11 zebras and a Royal Bengal tiger had been reported, which is why the writ mentions 12 animals. He hoped the later death of a lioness would also be covered.

Nine zebras died at the park from 2 January to 25 January and two more on 29 January. A tiger and a lioness also died there in February.

On 26 January a five-member probe committee was formed, headed by an additional secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It was given 10 working days to find the cause of the zebra deaths and recommend action, but when it could not finish in time the deadline was extended by another 10 working days, and three more members were added.

Over the deaths of the 13 animals, the park's officer-in-charge and its doctor were accused of negligence. Amid allegations of internal feuding among staff, food being smuggled out from inside the boundary wall, concealment of the zebra and tiger deaths, and killing of the zebras, the authorities removed officer-in-charge Tabibur Rahman and doctor Dr Hatem Sajjad Md Zulkarnain from their duties at the park on 31 January.

Project director Zahidul Kabir was then removed on 2 February, and most recently, on 10 February, wildlife supervisor Sarowar Hossain was removed.

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