Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has called for positive competition to protect wildlife. Many people are cruel to voiceless animals, she said, although no religion supports this, and everyone must work selflessly to protect wildlife.

She spoke at a discussion at Bon Bhaban in Agargaon, Dhaka, on Saturday 6 December. The Bangladesh Biodiversity Conservation Federation (BBCF) organised the event, titled "BBCF: Uncompromising Leadership in Biodiversity Conservation", to mark its 11th founding anniversary and national conference.

The adviser said many people are frightened when they see a snake and kill it for no reason, although medicines for cancer are made from snakes, and a snake does not bite unless attacked. In the same way, people kill elephants with electric wires and give crop protection as the excuse. If such damage occurs, she said, the government will pay compensation.

Noting that the Sonadia economic zone project has been cancelled to protect wildlife, she said, "Is cancelling the project enough? Forest encroachers must also be evicted. I have told the forest guards this."

Farhina Ahmed, secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman, pro-vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University; and Md Sagir Ahmed, professor of zoology at Dhaka University, also spoke at the meeting.

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