On January 16, two cats owned by Zillur Rahman, an inhabitant of Monirampur of Jashore, innocently strolled into the neighbouring house owned by Hira. Hira did not shoo the cats away. Instead, he lured them into a room, closed the doors and windows and proceeded to beat them mercilessly with a stick.
One of the cats died immediately. The other cat was in critical condition. Zillur Rahman filed a case of animal cruelty against Hira at the local police station. Following the incident, locals have shared with the police that Hira is notorious in the area for killing pet and wild animals with his airgun. This was entertainment for him!
Like other animal-lovers in the country, Zillur's family have demanded justice for this act of cruelty from the concerned authorities. However, it does not seem like anything significant coming out of the case, given how past cases of animal cruelty have panned out.
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Possibly the most discussed case of animal cruelty in Bangladesh last year occurred in December when Nishi Rahman, the wife of a government official, placed eight puppies into a gunny sack and drowned them in a pond in Ishwardi Upazila of Pabna. After the incident sparked public outcry nationwide, she was arrested. But on December 8, a court granted her bail. The reasons the court provided were that the case was bailable and that the suspect is a woman. So, she was released although the investigation was still ongoing.
The release of the puppy killer seems to have emboldened others like her as there were several similar incidents that occurred across the country.
On December 10, a case was filed at a court in Chattogram about the killing of a pregnant dog near DC Hill of Nandan Kanan area of Chattogram on December4. Shortly afterwards a video surfaced on social media platforms showing how the dog had just come out of the gate of the Deputy Commissioner's residence and was resting, when the gate was opened and a white pickup van ran over her body. The dog died with her unborn puppies in her womb.
In the last week of December at Sreebardi of Sherpur district, a stray dog was lured with food into an area by a man. As the dog trusted the man and moved towards the food, the man placed a noose around the dog's neck and kill it by hanging.
There have been numerous other stories of animal cruelty from different parts of Bangladesh. Animals were beaten to death, poisoned or faced other terrible fates for trivial reasons. Also, the perpetrators who had tortured and gouged out the eyes of stray cats near Dhanmondi Lake last year, are yet to be found.
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There are plenty of laws in the country that ensure the rights of animals. Besides Article 18A of the Constitution that mandates the state to protect the environment, biodiversity, and wildlife, there is also the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1920. The latter law focuses on preventing unnecessary cruelty with some penalties.
Of greater import is the Animal Welfare Act, 2019, which defines cruelty against animals more broadly, including extreme confinement, unnecessary pain, etc. This Act has increased penalties, while focusing on responsible animal rearing.
Despite their prevalence, these laws are not being implemented properly due to a lack of awareness, social stigma and public indifference.
It can often be seen in most communities, especially in rural and smaller towns, that the rights of animals are not properly understood.
Fortunately, through greater penetration of internet and therefore social media platforms, online animal rights groups are gradually becoming more active. Such groups are doing a wonderful job of informing and alerting others about animals that require rescues along with locations. Often these rescues happen and the treatment of animals is ensured through crowdfunding.
Problems occur when intentional cruelty against some animals is reported by animal rights activists. For example, in the incident of the pregnant dog being run over outside the Deputy Commissioner's residence at Nandan Kanan in Chattogram, animal rights activists went to the Kotwali police station who only filed a complaint and not a case. The case was filed under Section 428 of the Penal Code for killing an animal and Section 98 of the Bangladesh Road Transport Act, after the activists went to the Court.
As similar complaints were raised by other animal rights activists earlier, it would be prudent for relevant departments of the government to ensure that law enforcement officials along with all departments of the government in all parts of the country are aware of the Acts that ensure the rights of animals. It would also help if some legal bodies and rights groups work together to draft more stringent Acts.
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Another reason behind the lack of reporting of incidents where animals are abused, tortured or killed, is social stigma.
In most communities, animals are regarded as unclean and impure. Faith-based excuses are provided for driving them away from households or if they approach humans.
It needs to be stressed by the imams and other influential figures from different faiths that all creatures are living beings and they are equally loved by the Almighty. There are also false ideas about dogs being impure. The correct facts need to be spread.
Another reason behind fear of animals is diseases, mainly rabies.
Though rabies was a rampant issue till the mid-2000s in this country, it is now largely under control in urban areas where government authorities as well as animal rights promoting non-government organisations like Obhoyaronno, People for Animal Welfare (PAW) Foundation, Animal Care Society of Bangladesh, Furry Friends Foundation and others are collaborating to provide rabies vaccines to street animals ahead of the rabies season.
Still, if an animal is rabid, it will show symptoms which can alert people in any community. In case of such situations aforementioned organisations can be contacted to rescue and treat the animal.
Finally, indifference about animals can be battled by changing the mindset and approach towards them.
In many communities of Dhaka now, animal lovers are banding together to provide food and sometimes shelter to stray dogs and cats of their communities. For example, ahead of winter, NGOs like Furry Foundation along with some individuals have provided beds made from gunny sacks to stray dogs.
In some parts of Dhaka and Chattogram, some animal lovers spend money out of their own pockets to vaccinate cats and dogs ahead of flu and rabies seasons. They also often spray and neuter cats to ensure their optimum health and to control the feline population in the community.
As a result, these communities have become more receptive and appreciative of these animals. Young children in these communities do not beat these dogs with sticks but rather provide them with cakes or biscuits. They are no longer regarded as nuisance, but as members of their neighbourhood. They are loved and looked after by more or less everyone.
If the aforementioned strategies and methods are replicated and others are added to it, then animals living in urban and rural areas across the country will be in much better situations that they deserve as fellow living beings on this planet.
Syed Tashfin Chowdhury is a communications professional. tashfinster@gmail.com
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