Indiscriminate hunting by Rajshahi ethnic community

Our Correspondent
RAJSHAHI, Mar 10: Indiscriminate killing of wild animals by using fence, trap, arrows and conventional weapons by the members of ethnic community in various villages of Godagari and Tanore upazilas of Rajshahi and Niamatpur, Patnitola and Mohadevepur upazilas of greater Rajshahi district is poised to leave many species of wild animals and birds on the verge of extinction.
According to sources, for thousands of years, ethnic people in the region settled in various villages of the said upazilas by clearing deep forest. In the earlier time, their staple food was meat of wild animals they used to hunt in groups in the forest. Later on when they cleared the forest, they started to cultivate land growing paddy and vegetables. But, the tradition of their hunting wild animals and eating those in festivity by burning those is still in practice and whenever they manage time, they come out from their houses with arrow, quiver, nets and fences to hunt wild animals. Though the number of wild animals has now been dwindled for indiscriminate hunting, expert ethnic hunters can sense the presence of a few number of wild animals by watching bushes and burrows in the soil and putting fences to surrounding areas, they hunt those by hitting those through arrows and sticks.
The wild animals which they now used to hunt belonged to highly endangered porcupine, ant-eaters, wild cat, wild rat and mongoose. Excepting mongoose and wild rat, all other wild animals are critically endangered.
Despite a ban and punishment in killing or hunting of wild animals and birds, ethnic people were killing those indiscriminately and in a frenzy of festivity, they were eating the booty after burning those in fire in open field. Whenever, any man or any member of law enforcement agency challenged them and explained them about the ban of killing those animals and the punishment they should incur for the act, they simply seek pardon from them saying they have never heard of such a ban and punishment and it was through their age old tradition, they have been hunting and killing the animals to gather their food. Often the members of Wildlife Management and Conservation of Forest, an organisation working to save nature and wildlife in Rajshahi, challenged the hunters or they informed the local administration and the local forest officials, the concerned officials only seized the hunting tools like arrow, quiver, stick, spear and net and let those hunters go unpunished, just reciting them oath of not to kill those wild animals further in future. Since none of them is being punished, they again resorted to the same job.
Mohesh Soren (20) and Jogen Murmu (24) of village Biroil under Godagari upazila said for ages the ethnic people have been hunting wild animals and birds as a part of their festival. Often they came out of home in group with arrow, fence, net and spears and hunt wild animals from nearby forest and bushes. They said they have heard from their predecessors that once a huge number of wild animals and varieties of birds thrived all along the region and the meat of hunted birds and animals was a part of daily meal for the ethnic people. But now the wild animals and well as birds became rare because the bushes and large trees where those used to live have almost disappeared from Rajshahi region. They further said, it was for the first time they heard that hunting of wild animals and birds are banned and a punishable offence.
Rubina Khalko (18) and Kalpana Mahato (18), students of Premtali Degree College said every ethnic people are aware of the rule of the country about the restrictions of hunting and killing of wild animals and birds but only a few cares for the ban. The hunting of wild animals and birds were being continuing unabated because no one is punished for the offence.
Mollah Rezaul Karim, former divisional forest officer of Rajshahi, said hunting or killing of any sort of wild animals, birds and reptiles was a punishable offence. All are equal in the eyes of law and any one engaged in such killing of wildlife should be brought to the law and be punished.
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