The activity of deer poachers has increased in East Sundarbans. In the last two weeks, forest guards of Sarankhola range have recovered 46 kg of deer meat, four hides, deer traps and bullets from poachers in 6 separate raids. At this time, the forest guards arrested 10 poachers. Monitoring of forest department and CPG members has been increased. If strict measures are not taken to prevent poachers, the existence of Chitral Harin, the magnificent tourist attraction of the Sundarbans, will be threatened.
According to various reliable sources who do not want to reveal their names, a strong hunting gang has been formed in neighboring areas including Charduani, Patharghata of Barguna, Gnanpara, Sonatala of Sharankhola, Panirghat to trap deer in the Sundarbans. The hunters of that circle went to the Sundarbans with the fish in the guise of fish and caught the deer in the depths of the forest to get a trap made of nylon rope. Later secretly sold at different places at the rate of 7/8 hundred taka per kg. Buyers book hunters in advance with advance payment. The source said that this deer meat trafficking ring supplies up to the capital Dhaka.
Sources said hunters hunt deer in remote forest areas including Dublarchar, Kachikhali, Chandeshwar, Katka, Supati, Tiarchar, Kokilmani, Andharmanik in Sarankhola range to get deer traps. The identity of the hunters is very much an open secret in the area. The names of the hunters of Panirghat Sonatala area of Sharankhola are Tanjer Bayati, Shahidul, Nanna, Zakir Mallik, Habib Howladar.
According to the sources of the forest department, the forest guards arrested 5 deer hunters with 8 kg of deer meat and traps from Jamtala of Alorkol in Dubla on January 27. The arrested are Rajiv, Pradeep, Yunus, Nowsher and Idris Ali. Forester Sadiq Mahmud, officer-in-charge of Alorkol forest patrol post, said that their house is in Srifaltala village of Rampal. On January 25, forest guards of Neelkamal forest patrol post in Sundarbans intercepted a hunter named Hero Akon with 20 kg deer meat and 20 rounds of bullets in a trawler. The arrested hunter's house is in Taltali area of Patharghata in Barguna. On January 24, the Coast Guard recovered 2 deer skins from Haringhata in Patharghata.
On January 23, the forest guards of Sharankhola station recovered two deer skins from the house of Tanj Bayati of Sonatala village of Sharankhola upazila. On the evening of January 22, the forest guards of Kochikhali Sanctuary of Sundarbans intercepted two poachers with 15/20 kg deer meat trawler from Dimerchar. The arrested poachers are Idris and Nizam of Padma village in Patharghata. Earlier on January 18, the forest guards from Narikelbaria of Dublarchar arrested two people along with 5 kg of deer meat and sent them to the court.
Sharankhola Range Officer of East Sundarbans, Md. Shamsul Arefin told Manavkanth that the activity of deer hunters increases during winter. That is why the patrolling of the forest department has already been strengthened. Community Patrol Group (CPG), currently engaged in forest protection, has been enhanced under the supervision of the Forest Department. Poachers are now caught whenever they enter the forest. Efforts are on by police and forest department to nab the listed poachers.