Govt has announced zero tolerance policy against wildlife crimes: Minister

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin on Monday said the government has announced a zero tolerance policy to wildlife related crimes.

To this end, he said, the Wildlife Crime Control Unit of the Forest Department is working to create public awareness against wildlife trade, hunting and trafficking across the country.

"In addition, every department and unit at the field level is carrying out regular patrol activities to stop illegal extraction of forest resources," the minister said while speaking at a discussion at Ban Bhaban in Dhaka.

The Forest Department arranged the discussion marking the International Biodiversity Day-2023 with the theme "From Agreement to Action: Build Back Biodiversity".

Speaking as the chief guest, Shahab Uddin said the government has already signed the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity to conserve biodiversity.

"Bangladesh Biodiversity Act-2017 has been enacted to ensure biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of its components," he said.

The environment minister said the government has already declared 25 wildlife sanctuaries, 20 national parks, two special biodiversity conservation areas, two marine protected areas, one botanical garden, three eco-parks and two vulture safe zones in different regions of the country for biodiversity conservation, free roaming and breeding of wildlife.

He said the government has declared 1.73 lakh hectares of swatch of no ground in the Bay of Bengal and 1,743 square kilometers adjacent to Saint Martin Island as marine protected area.

Ratargul, a swampy forest in Sylhet region, and Altadighi in Naogaon have been declared as special biodiversity conservation areas, while there are also two Ramsar sites in the country, Shahab Uddin said.

Mentioning that funding is being provided for research related to biodiversity, he said the process of preparing the red list of rare and endangered plant species for the first time in the country is almost at final stage.

A number of government-funded projects are underway to protect the Sundarbans, a haven of biodiversity, the minister said.

Besides, he said, the biodiversity of Sundarbans is now more protected as a result of smart patrolling.

The minister said if plants or animals, which are one of the components of biodiversity, are damaged, the environment will be severely affected.

"If the biodiversity is threatened, the human civilisation will suffer. So we have to take the lead in conserving biodiversity for our own sake. Therefore, to make biodiversity restoration activities more effective and dynamic, everyone must be committed," he said.

Deputy Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Habibun Nahar, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the ministry Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Environment Secretary Dr Farhina Ahmed, Additional Secretary Iqbal Abdullah Harun and Director General of the Department of Environment Dr Abdul Hamid, among others, were present at the meeting with Chief Conservator of Forest Md Amir Hosain Chowdhury in the chair.

Earlier, a colorful rally was brought from Shahbagh in the capital that ended at the TSC of Dhaka University after parading different thoroughfares.