Following the deaths of 11 zebras at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park in Sreepur, Gazipur, the park's officer in charge, Assistant Conservator of Forests Tabibur Rahman, and veterinary officer Dr Hatem Sajjad Md Zulkarnain have been withdrawn and attached to the Forest Department in Dhaka.

In their place, Md Rafiqul Islam, assistant conservator of forests at the Faridpur Social Forestry Division, has been made officer in charge, and Mohammad Mostafizur Rahman, veterinary surgeon at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park in Dulahazara, Cox's Bazar, has been given new responsibility. A move has also been made to withdraw the Gazipur safari park's project director, Md Jahidul Kabir.

The information was given in a press release on Monday (31 January) signed by Dipankar Bar, senior information officer of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

The release said the officials on duty were withdrawn and transferred in the interest of a neutral investigation by the ministry's probe committee, formed to find the real cause of the zebra deaths and identify those negligent in their duties.

It said the ministry would take all necessary steps to prevent such unwanted deaths, including withdrawing everyone involved and taking legal action against those responsible.

Earlier, on Saturday (29 January), the safari park's project director Md Jahidul Kabir said zebras began dying at the park on 2 January, and a total of 11 had died there by 29 January.

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