Six people, including a retired army officer, were fined by a mobile court in Munshiganj’s Gazaria upazila for hunting migratory birds on Thursday.
Locals detained the group along with their vehicle at Mathabhanga in Imampur evening after discovering that they had hunted a large number of birds. Later, police and the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) rescued them from an angry crowd.
As the accused confessed to the offence, a mobile court fined retired Lieutenant Colonel ASM Hadiul Islam Bhuiyan (81) Tk 1 lakh, while the other five were fined Tk 30,000 each, considering their age.
The other fined individuals are Haji Osman Ali (77), Mazharul Haque Qureshi (70), Abdullah Noor (72), Abrar Uddin Ahmed (70), and Arik Ahmed (27).
During the drive, authorities seized three shotguns, one air gun and 63 rounds of ammunition used for hunting.
According to police and local sources, the group travelled from Dhaka to the Meghna River area in Gazaria in the morning and hunted birds in different char areas along the Meghna and its branch, the Phuldi River.
When they were returning in the evening, locals noticed six sacks filled with hunted birds, estimated to weigh around four maunds, sparking outrage. Villagers blocked their vehicle near a local Eidgah and kept them confined until authorities arrived around 10pm.
Witnesses alleged the group used firearms extensively and killed hundreds of migratory birds in a single day, causing significant environmental damage.
The accused retired army officer claimed they had no ill intent and hunted the birds merely as a hobby, adding that he had visited the area for hunting on previous occasions as well.
UNO Md Mahmudul Hasan said the incident was verified and fines were imposed under the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act, 2012. Considering the age and physical condition of the accused, imprisonment was not awarded. They were also warned against engaging in such activities in the future.