The Forest Department’s Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division has rescued 55 rare native wild animals and arrested two members of a wildlife trafficking network in two separate operations conducted over two days.

The intensified enforcement action came just days after The Business Standard published a report on 6 June titled “Conservationists rescue rare langur, question Ctg Forest Dept’s inaction on wildlife trafficking,” which highlighted concerns over enforcement gaps in wildlife protection.

Officials said the coordinated operations were carried out by the Chattogram Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division and the Wildlife Crime Control Unit (WCCU) in Dhaka.

On Monday, a suspected wildlife trafficker, Md Hadis Rahman, was detained in Chakaria Upazila of Cox’s Bazar. Acting on initial recovery efforts, forest officials rescued 13 Himalayan yellow turtles and one hoolock gibbon from his possession.

Based on information provided by Hadis, a follow-up raid was conducted at a warehouse near Sonali Market in the Eastern Housing area of Mirpur-12, Dhaka, where the Wildlife Crime Control Unit recovered an additional 42 rare native wild animals.

The recovered species include three great hornbills, three capped langurs, 13 Himalayan yellow turtles, 12 parakeets, one myna, three slow lorises, one eagle owl, three Asian palm civets, and three porcupines.

Photo: TBS

During the operation, another individual, Md Sajuddin, was arrested for his alleged involvement in wildlife trafficking.

Officials said the Chakaria arrest led investigators to the Mirpur warehouse, which was subsequently identified as a major storage point in the trafficking network. Authorities described the operation as one of the largest single wildlife recoveries in the country’s history, given the number of animals rescued in a coordinated raid.

Wildlife Inspector Asim Mallik, who led the operation, confirmed the details to TBS, saying Md Hadis Rahman was directly involved in the trafficking network and had previously been arrested in a Forest Department operation in Chakaria and is currently in jail.

Preliminary interrogation suggests that his wife, Khushi, may have been coordinating and managing the network’s online operations, though further investigation is ongoing.

“All rescued animals have been kept under the custody of the Forest Department for primary treatment and care. They will later be released into suitable natural habitats based on expert recommendations,” he said.

Officials from the Wildlife Crime Control Unit noted that under the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act, 2026, hunting, collection, transport, and trafficking of wildlife are strictly prohibited, and legal action will be taken against those involved.