A mobile court has seized a large quantity of slaughtered migratory bird meat in a raid on the well-known Panch Bhai Restaurant in Sylhet city.
Two of the restaurant's managers were arrested. The mobile court carried out the joint raid at around 2pm on Tuesday. The two managers, Abdul Awal and Kawsar Ahmad, were arrested on charges of illegally selling and storing migratory birds along with food.
Who carried out the raid
RAB-9, the Sylhet district administration and the forest department carried out the raid with leaders of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) Sylhet. It was led by Sylhet district administration NDC Md Helal Chowdhury, executive magistrate Md Jahangir Alam, RAB-9 senior ASP Main Uddin Chowdhury and forest department ranger Md Delwar Rahman.
Assisting in the raid were BAPA Sylhet general secretary Abdul Karim Kim, joint general secretary Chhamir Mahmud and BAPA organiser Badar Chowdhury.
During the raid, 25 migratory birds, 29 egrets and pond herons and eight balihash (pygmy geese) stored in the restaurant's fridge were seized, along with the cooked meat of another 39 birds.
The two men were later handed over to Kotwali police station on charges of selling birds illegally, and a case was filed at the police station against the two arrested men and the restaurant owner.
District administration NDC Md Helal Chowdhury said they had committed an offence against wildlife conservation by slaughtering, cooking and selling migratory birds. "So they cannot simply be let off with a fine. A case must be filed at the police station and their punishment ensured through the judicial process," he said.
BAPA Sylhet general secretary Abdul Karim Kim said the allegation of illegal bird sales at Panch Bhai Restaurant was a long-standing one. "We informed the forest department eight to ten days ago. But because of some legal restrictions, RAB-9 and the district administration became involved. Finally on Tuesday, after confirming by posing as customers that there were birds at the restaurant, the raid was carried out with the administration. If a popular restaurant in Sylhet sells birds illegally and ordinary people also eat them, bird hunters will be encouraged. We should be more aware of this," he said.
Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.
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