A new wildlife ordinance would define the hunting of 246 wildlife species as a non-bailable offence, expanding a provision that is currently applied only to the killing of tigers and elephants.
The environment, forest and climate change ministry has recently drafted an ordinance for the conservation and security of wildlife, also defining cruelty against animals.
The draft ordinance, once approved, will replace the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act 2012.
Wildlife experts have welcomed the move but strongly emphasised the need for its proper implementation.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the environment, forest and climate change, and water resources ministries, recently told 抖阴精品, 鈥楾he law is being updated to curb ongoing crimes against wildlife and to ensure their survival in the future, so that the next elected government does not undo these changes.鈥�
The ministry completed receiving public opinions on the draft on November 20 and is now processing the document for vetting.
According to the draft, hunting 246 scheduled animals and birds, including 66 mammals such as tiger, elephant, fishing cat, Asiatic black bear, civet and dolphin; 106 bird species; 44 reptiles including crocodile and turtle; and 29 amphibians including Indian bullfrog and whale shark, would be considered a non-bailable offence.
Under the draft law, hunting tigers and elephants would be punishable with a minimum of two and a maximum of seven years鈥� imprisonment, or a fine of Tk 1鈥�10 lakh, or both. Anyone who would repeat the offence would face 12 years鈥� imprisonment and a fine of Tk 15 lakh.
Hunting any of the other 244 scheduled animals would be punished with three to five years鈥� imprisonment and a fine of Tk 3鈥�5 lakh.
The draft also designates any harmful activity within sanctuaries and national parks as a non-bailable offence.
These harmful activities include illegal trespassing, picnicking, cultivation, industrial activities, destruction of wildlife habitats and wetlands, introduction of exotic, alien or invasive species, releasing domestic animals for foraging, dumping hazardous materials, and extraction of minerals.
Currently, the country has 27 wildlife and wetland-dependent animal sanctuaries, including those in the east and west Sundarban, and 19 national parks, including Bhawal National Park in Gazipur and Nijhum Dwip National Park in Noakhali.
The draft further defines cruelty against wildlife.
According to the draft, punishable offences include beating wildlife, harassing them, blindfolding them, detaining them unnecessarily, intimidating them, causing distress during transport, killing them using electric fencing, and posting videos of cruelty against wildlife on social media.
Anyone who would commit these offences would face one to two years鈥� imprisonment and a fine of Tk 1鈥�2 lakh.
Praising the updating of the law, wildlife expert Professor M Monirul H Khan stressed the need for its enforcement for survival of the wildlife in the future.
Monirul, a zoology teacher at Jahangirnagar University, said, 鈥楨ven under the existing law, killing wildlife is a punishable offence, yet they are being killed frequently. The law is not being properly enforced.鈥�
According to Forest Department data, since the enactment of the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act in 2012, 332 cases have been lodged and around 260 people have been punished with short-term imprisonment or fines by mobile courts until June 2025.
Noting that the pace of enforcement is inadequate, wildlife experts have long been demanding exemplary punishment for wildlife crime perpetrators.
