72 birds die eating pesticide-treated masakalai

A total of 65 doves and seven pigeons have died after consuming pesticide-treated masakalai or black gram in Shahjadpur upazila of Sirajganj.

The local Forest Department lodged a written complaint with Shahjadpur police station on Tuesday under the Wildlife Act.

The dead doves and pigeons were found floating in the area, surrounding land and a nearby river on Monday afternoon. 

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Mamun Biswas, chairman of the Bird Safety House, said: “A farmer has sown seeds on a land at Narina village a for planting masakalai.”

He mixed pesticides while sowing the seeds, thinking that if the seeds were eaten by wild animals, it would harm the cultivation, Mamun added.

The dead birds were rescued and handed over to Shahjadpur Forest official Rashidul Hasan after contacting Rajshahi Divisional Wildlife Inspector Jahangir Kabir.

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The representative of Upazila Forest Department, Rashidul Hasan, said: “It is a crime to kill the birds. We’ve submitted a written complaint to the police.” 

He hoped that the authorities concerned would take legal action after investigating the incident.

Saeed Mahmud, OC of Shahjadpur police station, said: “As a result of giving extra pesticides on the land, they became poisonous.

“We had asked them to file a case. Later, we registered it as a general diary and opened an investigation.”