Who will control the illicit wildlife trade?
DUE to strict controls at local markets, the unrestricted trade of wild animals is taking place on social media. Although legally prohibited, these regulations are being disregarded.
Under these circumstances, it goes without saying that the trade in wild animals will push many species toward the brink of extinction.
Besides, many species of wild animals are already facing the threat of extinction due to environmental factors.
Numerous animals and birds once familiar to us are no longer seen. For this, Bangladesh needs active reporting, stricter digital monitoring, and strict enforcement of the country’s wildlife protection laws.
It is to be noted that on January 7 of this year, the government issued the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Ordinance to protect the country’s biodiversity and wildlife.
The ordinance prohibits the buying and selling of wildlife via social media, marketplaces, or any other online or offline channels.
Yet, these illicit activities continue on various social media platforms, including Facebook and YouTube.
According to a national newspaper report published on Friday, a group is quite active through various pages or groups called ‘Bird Breeding’, ‘Bird House’, ‘Shalik Bird Breeding’, ‘Ragi Bird’, ‘Bird Buying and Selling’.
Trafficking is also taking place in different countries. Reportedly, the use of social media platform has become the dominant pathway to connecting buyers and sellers around the world.
The illicit market is worth at least several hundred crore taka. Security forces frequently conduct operations to curb the trade of wildlife. Between July 2025 and June of this year, a total of 8,154 wild animals were seized in the country. They included 92 mammals, 4,508 birds, and 3,554 reptiles.
The report mentions an individual named Ibrahim, who has been involved in the wildlife trade since 2012. He also has an online page. He has been jailed several times for this offense, yet he resumed the activity after his release.
Data from the Bangladesh Forest Department indicates that the survival of 47 out of 736 bird species, 63 out of 158 reptile species, eight out of 42 amphibian species, and 43 out of 124 mammal species in the country is currently under threat.
The question arises: if punishment fails to deter the offender, then what is its effectiveness?
Meanwhile, the World Wildlife Fund states that the global wildlife population has declined by two-thirds since 1970. During this period, 31 species of animals have disappeared from Bangladesh.
We believe that legal action must be taken against those involved in the trade of wild animals. In particular, strict measures-leveraging technology-must be adopted to halt online sales.
