HC orders judicial probe into 22 deer hunting in the Sunderbans

Dhaka, Nov 11 – The Bangladesh High Court yesterday asked for a judicial probe into a reported incident of hunting 22 deer from the Sundarbans in Satkhira’s Shyamnagar area in July this year. The HC bench comprising Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Md Khairul Alam directed the chief judicial magistrate of Satkhira to conduct the inquiry into the incident and submit a probe report before it in three months.
It also issued a rule asking the government to explain in four weeks why it should not be directed to preserve the Sundarbans area.
It also asked why the legal action should not be taken against the persons involved in hunting the deer from the Sundarbans.
A number of high officials of the government including the secretaries to the ministries of forest and environment and home affairs; inspector general of police; director general of Coast Guard; chief
conservator of the forest; commissioner of Khulna Metropolitan Police; divisional forest officer in Khulna; deputy commissioner and superintendent of police of Satkhira; assistant conservator concerned of the forest; and officer-in-charge of Shyamnagar Police Station have been made respondents to the rule within four weeks.
The HC bench came up with the directive and rule after hearing a writ petition filed by Abu Bakar, a senior reporter of the daily Amader Orthoneeti and also an inhabitant of Shyamnagar area, seeking
necessary order in this regard.
The petitioner sought HC order on the government to preserve the Sundarbans and to take action against those who reportedly hunted 22 deer in July.
Advocate Shamsul Hoq appeared for the petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Motaher Hossain Sazu represented the state. – Staff Reporter