TDS Desk:

A total of 1,200 birds, trapped by poachers, have been rescued and freed at Rajpath village in Mollahat Upazila of  Bagerhat.

Many traps and bird-hunting equipment were seized during the drive led by Mollahat Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Harekrishna Adhikari.

Tipped off, the drive was conducted in a temporary shelter built by the poachers in the beel and the captured birds were rescued before they could be sold.

The birds, identified as Jhut Shalik, were released back into their natural habitat in a Beel (lake-like wetland).

However, suspects were identified and the local police were directed to file a case against them, said the UNO.

The seized traps and nets were subsequently burned to prevent future use.

“The poachers had planned to sell the birds in bulk but the prompt drive stopped it,” said the UNO, adding that the administration’s efforts to curb bird poaching would continue.

Bagerhats’s wetlands, canals and fisheries see a rise of both domestic and migratory birds during the winter, making them a target for poachers.

These harmless and innocent creatures are often sold openly or through clandestine means with many being transported to other districts, he said.