An illicit trade in native and exotic birds in the country is thriving online in absence of monitoring as the department of forest officials cite a dearth of human resources and technological and other logistical support necessary to effectively do the task.聽聽
Despite strict wildlife protection laws, the illegal trade in rare and endangered bird species openly continues on different social media platforms and e-commerce websites, conservationists warn.
Though the wildlife crime control authorities conduct drives at different physical markets across the country, online marketplaces, including social media platforms, secret groups and messaging apps remain virtually untouched.
Data shows that the Department of Forest鈥檚 Wildlife Crime Control Unit has carried out 2,624 drives against illegal wildlife traders since the Wildlife Act was enacted in 2012 till December 2024.
During its drives the unit rescued 48,431 wild animals and birds from poachers and rogue traders.
Of the rescued ones, 35,011 were birds which are 72 per cent of the total.
On the cyberspace,聽 meanwhile, unscrupulous traders have been found doing brisk business through various Facebook groups, WhatsApp chats and other digital marketplaces. Their products, among other wildlife species, are protected birds, including parakeets, munias, mynas, owls and even critically endangered species like the Alexandrine parakeet and oriental pied hornbill.
Several traders involved in the illicit business told 抖阴精品 that among all the platforms Facebook was the most popular on which several groups and individuals were active.
Nasir Uddin, wildlife researcher and a consultant for WildTeam, an international conservation organisation, said that in 2019 they monitored Facebook for three months from July to September and found traders offered to sell 2,274 animals in 1,087 posts.
They also detected 719 active sellers on 11 most popular sites, Nasir Uddin told 抖阴精品.
Data from the Wildlife and Nature Conservation Circle, a unit of the Bangladesh Forest Department, shows that only 70 firms hold commercial licences to do bird trade.
But several hundred individuals have been found involved in illegal bird trading.
In 2022, licensed firms imported 11,593 birds of 163 species from 37 countries, which in 2023 fell to 4,782 birds of 74 species from 27 countries. Information for 2024 is not ready yet, according to the circle鈥檚 officials.
Despite international protections under CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international agreement between governments, over 150 platforms, usually with names implying harmless activities, on cyberspace have been found involved in the trade of protected species.
Illegal traders have been found usually active on these Facebook pages during the night till morning. Most sellers, seemingly use fake names and avoid giving detailed address and phone numbers. Posts have usually been found deleted within a short period.
It has also been found that currently in the country, the trade of exotic birds, including parrots, macaws, African grey parrots and cockatoos is thriving.
Facebook pages 鈥楶akhi palon o becha kena鈥� (bird rearing and buying and selling) with 7,900 members and 鈥楶akhi palon aviary鈥� (bird rearing aviary) with 13,000 members are two most popular of these platforms doing illegal trade in wildlife.
In a latest instance on March 2, Prince Tirtho (apparently an alias) posted a sale advertisement for some local birds on 鈥楶akhi palon o becha kena鈥� beneath which several others in the comment section also said they wanted to sell birds and other exotic animals.
Of them, the number of birds is higher than other animals. Among birds, the number of Psittaciformes species higher than the other birds.
Conservator of forests Sanaullah Patwary said that they lacked manpower and technological and other logistics support critical for robust handling of wildlife offences.
鈥楾he Wildlife Crime Control Unit consists of just six people, three of whom are dedicated wildlife crime inspectors,鈥� he said.
Arafat Rahman, president of voluntary organisation for wildlife conservation, Team for Energy and Environmental Research, said that the authorities had zero monitoring over wildlife trading going on online.
Taking the advantage, wildlife traffickers picked the virtual market for their illicit trade, infesting cyberspace with such crimes, he said.
He said that several online-based groups of traders were now active around Dhaka and its adjacent areas.
Following a sale post, this reporter contacted a seller at Savar, on the outskirts of the capital, and visited his place on February 22.
The seller, Rasel Miah (name changed), said that he collected birds from the hill districts and also from rogue traders who brought birds from abroad through illegal means both for sale and breeding.
According to him, prices of birds vary between Tk 3,000 and Tk 5,00,000.
Selling online was more comfortable for him as he could reach more customers without any cost and sell birds for good profit margins.
Conservationists and wildlife experts observe that illicit trading in wildlife would remain rife and continue to thrive more if the current scenario of weak enforcement and oversight cannot be changed and would continue to pose an increasing threat to the country鈥檚 wildlife and biosecurity.
They estimated that the illegal market has doubled in size, prompting CITES to suspend Bangladesh鈥檚 membership in November 2023.
Forest officials said that the standing committee of the CITES, administered by United Nations Environment Programme, asked them again to submit progress report after strengthening activities to effectively curb wildlife trafficking.聽
According to Wildlife (Conservation and Cecurity) Act 2012, killing, poaching, trading and unauthorised farming of at least 578 bird species are prohibited in Bangladesh, violation of which may result in a one-year jail sentence and/or Tk 50,000 fine with repeat offenders facing three years imprisonment and/or Tk 2,00,000 fine.