Md Zahidul Kabir has been shunted out as the project director of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park in Gazipur in the wake of the  deaths of 10 zebras in the past one month.

Mollah Rezaul Karim, forest conservator of the Wildlife and Nature Conservation Area in Dhaka, has been given the additional responsibility of the popular park. This was announced by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change in a notification on Wednesday.

Read:Bangabandhu Safari Park: In-charge, veterinary officers removed in light of zebra deaths

On January 31, assistant forest conservator and in-charge of the park, Tabibur Rahman, and vet Dr Hatem Sazzad Md Julkarnine were removed from their positions and transferred to the forest department in Dhaka.

Md Rafiqul Islam, assistant forest conservator of the social forest department, Faridpur, and Md Mostafizur Rahman, veterinary surgeon of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park, Cox’s Bazar, were appointed in their places.

Ten zebras died at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Parkin in a space of one month till Saturday. Nine of the earlier population of 22 zebras at the park died between January 2 and 24, according to the park authorities.

Read:10 Zebras’ death: Probe panel visits Safari Park

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change also formed a five-member inquiry committee to find out the cause of the zebra deaths and fix accountability. It has been given 10 days to submit the probe report.

UNB has learnt that the committee members had already spoken with the owners of a South African farm from where the zebras were imported. Symptoms of a possible disease and test results have been emailed to them, sources said.