How decades of activism brought national recognition to Sherpur’s wildlife saviours

Sujoy’s organisation has rescued and released over a thousand birds so far from hunters. Photo: Courtesy

Winning the 2025 National Wildlife Conservation Award was a moment of joy and pride for Sujoy Malakar, founder of the Sherpur Bird Conservation Society (SBCS). 

"The feeling is truly wonderful, unlike anything else," he expressed. 

"Many people have said that this is the first national-level award for any organisation of Sherpur." Knowing that makes him feel even prouder, and at the same time, he said it has deepened his and his organisation's sense of responsibility.

Introduced for the first time this year, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change nominated four recipients for the award in four categories — two organisations and two individuals.

Among the two organisations, one is SBCS, a voluntary group awarded in the organisation category for its dedicated effort in local wildlife conservation.

A teenage dream

Sujoy vividly recalls the beginning of his journey as a wildlife conservation activist, which began nearly four decades ago.

The year was 1988. Sujoy had just finished his SSC examinations. College was yet to begin, and he had three months to spare. But rather than idling it away, he wanted to do something meaningful.

He wasted no time in getting started. Along with some of his like-minded friends, he started a small group, and named it 'Pakhi Pallab'.

"We were a bunch of 16-year-olds who began working on awareness campaigns on birds, animals and planting trees. Within our means, we tried to make people more conscious about nature," he recalled.

"We would follow the regular newspapers and collect the stories and pictures of nature and wildlife," he added.

Pakhi Pallab was not an established organisation, yet the members of the group individually continued their activism at their own capacity for nature up until 2018.

Later, in 2018, on the advice of Enam Ul Haque, the founder of Bangladesh Bird Club, they established the Sherpur Bird Conservation Society to protect the district's birds and biodiversity.

That is when they formally started working on bird conservation and awareness. Gradually, they expanded their activities to include elephants, porcupines, monkeys, and other forms of wildlife.

The journey after

At one point, there was an initiative to clear a sal forest, which was home to an endangered species of parrot. Their nests were deep within that forest, along with those of many other animals. "We had to take a strong stand to protect it, and we succeeded," reminisced Sujoy.

Located at the foot of the Garo Hills and along the old Brahmaputra River, Sherpur is home to hundreds of resident, migratory, seasonal, and irregular bird species — and once, it was also home to just as many illegal bird hunters. But that is changing, thanks to the relentless efforts of SBCS to raise awareness and curb wildlife hunting.

According to Sujoy, their organisation has rescued and released over a thousand birds so far from hunters. These include herons, cormorants, doves, western swamphens (kalim), white-breasted waterhen (dahook), parrots, and many others. In the local wetlands, they have managed to significantly reduce unchecked hunting.

No wildlife conservation effort can be successful without the involvement of the community, and this is no exception. "When we go into the field, often at dawn, locals sometimes come to join us. We hold courtyard meetings with respected members of the community, where we speak about the importance of birds and wildlife," Sujoy said.

Thanks to these efforts, bird hunting has stopped in much of Sherpur. According to Sujoy, there are still a few areas where it continues, but the number has definitely declined, and the organisation is still working on it.

The most effective form of community engagement is probably involving the youth to the cause — and this is where the organisation focuses the most. At events like Wildlife Day and Environment Day, the organisation hosts competitions and seminars involving the younger generation.

Besides, they run motivational programmes in schools and colleges. Using slideshows, volunteers explain the importance of various animals and how they benefit the ecosystem. "At the end, we take a pledge together: never to eat wild bird meat. Even if it is cooked at home, we will not touch it," said the activist.

Children and students often understand the need to protect nature more easily than adults, which is why the message spreads so quickly through them. Sujoy recalled a case where a father brought home a heron, but the child refused to eat it and insisted it be released. And so, the bird was spared. "We have got multiple cases like this," he added.

The uphill battle

The road to activism for mother nature is an uphill battle. While there is no direct monetary incentive, some people still choose to take the rocky path.

One such burning challenge — quite literally — is that fire is often set in the hills, and stopping that has become a serious challenge. As Sujoy said, in Sherpur's Garo Hills, the indigenous communities protect the land. But it is the settlers who cause more damage to the forest and nature in various ways. "At times, we have faced threats from them. When we asked them not to hunt birds, they sent anonymous letters warning us that if we showed up, they would tie and beat us up."

Raising awareness among the general public is also a challenge as people often fail to see how wildlife affects their daily lives; they tend to undervalue its significance.

"In the early days, many people dismissed our work, saying, 'What harm is there in hunting birds?' Cormorants, in particular, face a lot of hatred because they eat fish. Later, we explained that cormorants tend to eat only the weaker fish — those that may not survive anyway. By doing so, they help the healthier fish grow better," Sujoy recalled.

It took time, but gradually people have started to understand. "Still, some think our work is pointless. Some even believe we must be making money from it. But in reality, we are all volunteers — often funding these activities out of our own pockets," he added, saying, "We receive no financial support from the Forest Department or the government."

The organisation has collaborated with the Forest Department in some wildlife conservation efforts. "When we went to conduct a survey in Madhupur, they supported us as volunteers. Additionally, in some later projects, we got their assistance," said Md Sadequl Islam Khan, the Assistant Conservator of Forests at the Sherpur District Forest Office.

"They have been doing quite well. Their work in raising awareness about birds and wildlife in Sherpur has been particularly impactful," he said, adding, "A striking fact that I noticed is that the volunteers have an immense knowledge on the birds, which often surpassed that of the employees of the forest department."

"Previously, many people used to hunt birds in the wetlands during winter, but thanks to their efforts, this has been brought largely under control. As the Forest Department, we are encouraging such efforts as much as we can," said the Forest Department officer.

Beyond on-the-field activism, the organisation documents wildlife species, publishes an annual newsletter called Amader Pakhi (Our birds), and organises awareness campaigns like Pakhi Dekhi (Let's watch birds), Gachh Chini (Let's Know Trees), along with school-based bird festivals known as Pakhimela (Bird fair).

There is no alternative to involving people from all walks of life — and that is exactly what this organisation represents. Its members include university professors, students, government and private sector employees, businesspeople, as well as farmers, rickshaw-pullers, CNG drivers, and fishermen. Only through collective effort across professions can it be hoped to safeguard nature.

In recognition of their work, the organisation received an award from the Prokriti o Jibon Foundation in 2019 and a special honour and certificate at Bird Fair 2023, organised by the Department of Zoology at Jahangirnagar University.

Protecting Mother Earth for all

Looking ahead, the president expressed their intention to carry out an elephant census in the Garo Hills. In that region, the human-elephant conflict is becoming a growing concern. Elephants often stray into villages. 

By conducting a proper count — starting from the Garo Hills in Jamalpur all the way to the parts within Netrokona, the organisation hopes to estimate how much food the elephant population needs. "If we can create that food source naturally, they will not come into local settlements," he said.

"Government-owned hill areas are being illegally occupied for vegetable farming, harming local biodiversity," said Sujoy. "Wetlands are shrinking, hills are being grabbed, and we must protect them to maintain ecological balance."

"Our work is for all living beings, not just people — so we can coexist on this land. We hope to inspire the next generation and leave behind a better world," Sujoy concluded.