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Yet to get rid of cruelty to animal


Published : 04 Aug 2021 10:30 PM | Updated : 05 Aug 2021 01:16 AM

Human beings often fail to acknowledge animals as part and parcel of the nature. This consideration leads to several incidents of animal cruelty in Bangladesh. Although animal lovers and animal rights activists have been trying to change this scenario, they often face obstacles and harassment.

The Animal Welfare Act of 2019 is yet to be implemented completely in the country. Most of the people are not even aware of that they were committing acts of cruelty to animals while harming them.

Recently two female students were assaulted by some residents of Japan Garden City in Mohammadpur while helping an ailing dog. The two university students were feeding and taking responsibilities of the stray dogs inside the housing society.

Rakibul Haq Emil, Chairman of People for Animal Welfare (PAW) Foundation told the Bangladesh Post that creating social awareness could play an important role in bringing positive changes in the society. Some people took a noble responsibility providing treatment to the ailing dogs. Rest of the people only complains but none wants to take responsibility for their sterilisation and vaccination.

 “I have been suggesting the animal lovers to come forward together and establish animal welfare clubs in their respective areas and housing societies. If such clubs are established within the communities, it will become possible to coordinate with the people of that community and other large organisations including the government ones. The change might not come immediately but it will come eventually if we start now,” he added.

He also mentioned that Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Md Atiqul Islam has undertaken a project with animal lovers to develop a healthy city where people and animals can coexist peacefully.

Rubaiya Ahmad, founder and chairman of Obhoyaronno - Bangladesh Animal Welfare Foundation told the Bangladesh Post that the new Animal Welfare Act 2019 has not been implemented yet. There are many tasks left to be done regarding the law including the rules. It will be implemented after the authorities concerned take the matter seriously.

“We must keep working. People have to be educated. The government has to adopt animal welfare-friendly policies. Change will come eventually,” she said.

Regarding the incident of Japan Garden City, Dipanwita Ridi, founder of ALB Animal Shelter told the Bangladesh Post that a lot of incidents like this take place on a regular basis but most of them go unpublicised.

“Usually, when such incidents take place, members of our team go to the spot and try to convince people through campaigns. And most of the times, people understand and agree with the activists. But we face difficulties when such incidents happen in restricted areas or housing societies. We have been handling a similar case in a residential area of Mirpur. There are around 25 dogs who live inside the boundaries of the quarter. The people of the residential area don’t feed them. And they also barred others to feed the stray dogs”, she further said.

She also said that as long as human beings do not have compassion for other animals and their sense of responsibility does not work as human beings towards animals.