HC orders judicial probe into 'hunting' of 22 Sundarbans deer

The High Court yesterday ordered a judicial probe into the reported hunting of 22 deer in the Sundarbans this July.

The court ordered the chief judicial magistrate of Satkhira to conduct the inquiry and submit a probe report before it in three months.

It also issued a rule asking the respondents to explain in four weeks why they should not be ordered to conserve the Sundarbans, and why legal action should not be taken against the persons involved in the hunting in Shyamnagar area of Satkhira.

The respondents include secretaries to the ministries of Forests and Environment, and Home Affairs, inspector general of police, director general of Coast Guard, chief conservator of forests, commissioner of Khulna Metropolitan Police, divisional forest officer in Khulna, deputy commissioner and superintendent of police of Satkhira, assistant conservator of the forests concerned, and officer-in-charge of Shyamnagar Police Station.

The HC bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Md Khairul Alam issued the order and rule after hearing a writ petition filed by Abu Bakar, a senior reporter of the daily Amader Orthoneeti, and an inhabitant of Shyamnagar area, seeking necessary orders on the respondents to take action against the persons involved in the hunting and to preserve the Sundarbans.

Petitioner Abu Bakar told The Daily Star that Abdus Sattar Mondal, a poacher, and his accomplices along with eight police personnel entered the Sundarbans in Shyamnagar area on the night of July 7, and illegally hunted 22 deer. The coast guard and forest department detained them the next day and recovered 22 slaughtered deer and six firearms from them, he said, adding that the incident was reported in different newspapers.

Advocate Shamsul Hoq appeared for the petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General Motaher Hossain Sazu represented the state.