Two fined for illegal tortoise trade

Barishal Correspondent :

Two fish traders were fined after twenty-one tortoises of Sundi varieties recovered in Kalapara upazila town under Patuakhali district and later released in pond on Tuesday (December 19) night.
The local businessmen wanted to buy these tortoises from local hunters and smuggle them to Dhaka.
Rakayet Ahsan, team leader of Kalapara branch of Animal Lovers of Patuakhali, said those turtles were rescued from Manik Fakir’s fish trap in Launchghat area of the town.
They were recovered on the basis of secret information with the help of law enforcers.
Later the members of Animal Lovers of Patuakhali released recovered 21 Sundhi Tortoises in the pond at Kalapara Upazila Parishad.
Kowshik Ahmed, assistant commissioner (land) of Kalapara upazila administration, who led the mobile court said the court collected a fine of total Tk 4,000 .i.e. Tk 2,000 each from two fishermen named Manik Fakir and Farooq for conserving tortoises.
Later, in the presence of Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) Jahangir Hossain, these turtles were released in the Upazila Parishad pond.