In order to prevent pandemics like the Covid-19, wildlife habitats should be conserved and hunting, killing and poaching in forests should be stopped.
Environment, Forests and Climate Change Minister Mohammad Shahab Uddin made the comments while attending the opening ceremony of the 22nd National Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Bangladesh Zoological Society through video-conferencing on Friday.
The minister said, “The indiscriminate destruction of forests and wildlife habitats has to lead to increased interference of humans in the wildlife. As a result, many diseases such as rabies, Ebola, Nipah virus, swine flu, avian influenza or bird flu and Covid-19 are spreading widely among humans and domestic animals.”
He added that the environment ministry is working for the conservation of wildlife and biodiversity in the light of the researched knowledge of zoologists. With the help of the Forest Department and the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research IEDCR (IEDCR) has been conducting long-term research on the spread of diseases through raw date juice.
According to the minister, the spread of the disease has slowed down due to widespread public awareness.
“The Wildlife Crime Suppression Unit of the Forest Department is working relentlessly to curb wildlife poaching, trafficking and marketing. If we succeed in conserving forests and wildlife with the cooperation of all, we will be able to be free from such diseases,” he said.
The event was presided over by Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Professor Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman. Senior Secretary, Local Government Department, Helal Uddin Ahmed, Chief Forest Conservator, Amir Hossain Chowdhury, Chairman, Nature and Life Foundation, Mukit Majumder Babu and others were present at the event.