Wildlife trade has been going on for many years in Bangladesh. According to a recent study prepared by Cambridge University, such illegal trade in wildlife has been taking place openly in 13 districts of the country. The districts are Satkhira, Bagerhat, Chapainawabganj, Kushtia, Mymensingh, Sylhet, Kishoreganj, Manikganj, Gopalganj, Rangamati, Cox's Bazar, Bandarban and Gazipur. Wild animals are being caught from different parts of the country and then brought to Dhaka and Chattogram. From there the animals are trafficked to different countries including India, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Singapore and China. Some of these trafficked animals are Bengal tiger, crocodiles, fishing cat, monkey, spotted deer and various kinds of reptiles, snakes and birds. The study shows hat our country has already become a safe haven for wildlife traffickers. And if we cannot control this illegal trade, much of our wildlife may soon become extinct.
The practice of wildlife trade should be firmly curbed. Awareness campaigns to educate people can help eliminate the suffering of these protected species and animals. The government should make an effort to highlight this critical issue and stamp out the illegal trade. Stepping up enforcement measures againstwildlife trade hubs can help. The government of Bangladesh has signed the International Convention on the Protection of Wild Animals. But the reality is that the government and authorities concerned are not taking any effective steps against this wildlife trade.
Ashikujaman Syed,
Research Assistant,
Bioinformatics Research Lab,
Center for Research Innovation and Development (CRID),
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