Barishal Correspondent :
A dead Irrawati dolphin washed up on Kuakata beach in Patuakhali district during tidal waters. The dolphin’s skin was completely decomposed, and the stench made it impossible to approach.
Crowds of people gathered on the beach to see the seven-foot-long carcass. According to the Kuakata Dolphin Protection Committee, 11 dolphins have been found dead so far in 2025.
The figure was 10 in 2024 and 15 in 2023. On Sunday afternoon, Jamal, a member of the Tour Guide Association, discovered the carcass in the Gangamati area of Kuakata beach.
The Forest Department and members of the Coastal Environment Protection Movement (UPRA) were immediately informed. They quickly arrived, removed the carcass from the beach, and buried it.
KM Bachchu, convener of UPRA, said the dolphin appeared to have died at least two days earlier. “The stench is unbearable. We must find out the exact reasons behind the rising number of dolphin deaths,” he added.
Dr Sajedul Haque, Professor in the Department of Fisheries Technology at Patuakhali University of Science and Technology, said: “We assume that nets, ship collisions, or microplastics may have caused its death. But these are only assumptions. No scientific tests have been carried out. We do not know the truth, we do not understand. Still, the procession of deaths continues.”
Abdur Razzak, Kuakata Beat Officer of the local Forest Department, said: “We removed the dead dolphin as soon as we received the news and arranged for its burial. Each time we do the same bury them. But no investigation, protection, or preventive measures are ever initiated,” he added.
