Facebook video shows Sylhet city councillors having ‘wild bird meat’

A live video showing five councillors of Sylhet City Corporation reportedly eating wild bird meat at a restaurant in Sylhet was posted on Facebook last night.

In a Facebook live video posted at 11:10pm last night, six people -- including five councillors of the city corporation -- are seen having the meat of white-breasted waterhen, locally called "Dahuk", at a roadside restaurant in Haripur area under Jaintiapur upazila in Sylhet.

Even though poaching, selling or consuming wild birds are prohibited and punishable offence under the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act 2012, the rampant selling of wild and migratory bird continues at several restaurants of the area, reports our local correspondent.

However, contacted, all five councillors denied eating wild bird at the restaurant and said they ate five different items -- goose, mutton, duck, fish and chicken.

The councillors are: Mohammad Taufiq Baksh of ward-26, who is the panel mayor; Rokibul Islam Jholok of ward-11, Eliasur Rahman of ward-8, Abdul Muhit Javed of ward-16 and Tareq Uddin Taz of ward-10.

Two others who accompanied them are: Parvez Mahmud Opu, a businessman in Sylhet, and Rayhan Ahmed, an expatriate who lives in the US.

Rayhan Ahmed posted the video.

Contacted, the councillors and Parvez acknowledged that they had some work in Haripur area and had dinner at the restaurant, but they all denied eating wild bird.

Councillor Tareq Uddin Taz said they had dinner at Puran Driver Restaurant where they saw wild birds are being sold to other customers while councillor Eliasur said he was not aware of laws prohibiting consumption of wild birds.

As the correspondent asked Rayhan Ahmed on the phone about the video he uploaded on Facebook last night, he hung up instantly.

The video was deleted from his account around 12pm today but The Daily Star got a copy of the video with screenshots of the original upload.

ASM Jahir Uddin Akon, director of Wildlife Crime Control Unit of Forest Department, said, "Our actions are based on information. We had no information about wild birds being sold at the restaurants of Haripur area, but now we will look into the matter soon."

"Councillors are responsible representatives of the people and are not supposed to violate law. None is above the law. If they are guilty of eating wild bird meat, necessary steps will be taken against them," he said.

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), said, "This is not just disrespecting the laws, but is also insensitive."

"Based on this video, the Forest Department must take legal action against the restaurants and the councillors should apologise," she said.