Police have arrested two men accused of involvement in beating a fishing cat to death in Naldanga village of Kaliganj upazila, Jhenaidah, and hanging up its body afterwards.

They were arrested on the afternoon of 21 December. They are Zahidul Islam, 35, an easy-bike driver from Khedapara village in Jhenaidah Sadar upazila, and Mosharaf Hossain, 60, of Kharashuni village.

Earlier, on 20 December, Jahangir Alam, officer-in-charge of the Jashore Sharsha Wildlife Control Unit, filed a written complaint at Kaliganj Police Station over the killing of a wild animal.

According to the complaint, a fishing cat was beaten to death on the morning of 19 December in the Kadipur area on the Kaliganj–Naldanga road. Easy-bike driver Zahidul Islam then took the dead cat in his vehicle to the easy-bike stand at the bazar. There it was tied to a post in front of a shop and a flower garland was put around its neck. A cigarette was even placed in the dead animal's mouth and a cup of tea in front of it. Zahidul Islam took photographs with a paper reading "Muktijoddha" (freedom fighter) attached to a stick.

A video of the incident later spread on social media. After seeing it, officials from all units of the Forest Department went to the scene on Friday, investigated and filed the complaint with the police.

Regional Forest Conservator Zahir Akon said officials were sent after the matter was seen on social media. A case has been filed and police have arrested the accused.

Kaliganj Police Station officer-in-charge (OC) Sahidul Islam Howlader said the two were arrested after the written complaint from the wildlife conservation officer.

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