Why are the world’s poisonous snakes being brought to Bangladesh? the reason came to light

After the recovery of 1104 foreign and poisonous animals in Bangladesh, the question has arisen as to why poisonous snakes, spiders and other foreign creatures from the world are being brought there. According to BBC Bangla report, tarantula spiders, Mexican black king snake, corn snake, African frog and many other species were found in the raid in Mirpur area of ​​Dhaka. Import and trade of these creatures is prohibited under the laws of Bangladesh. Despite this, their smuggling and selling is continuing. Experts say that along with amateur rearing, a network of international smuggling is also working behind this. They believe that this could increase the threat to both biodiversity and public health.

Secret of big network revealed by raid in Dhaka

According to BBC Bangla report, the Wildlife Crime Suppression Unit raided an aquarium built on the roof of a residential building in Rupnagar area of ​​Mirpur, Dhaka. According to the Bangladesh Forest Department, 1104 exotic species of animals were recovered from here, which included poisonous tarantula spiders, Mexican black king snake, corn snake, dumpy frog, leopard gecko and sideneck turtle. Officials said that these animals were kept illegally for conservation and sale. According to the Bangladesh Wildlife Crime Suppression Unit, about 6,000 exotic animals were present there before the raid and about 5,000 had already been sold. It is clear from this that illegal trade of exotic wildlife is going on on a large scale in the country.

After all, why are foreign animals being brought to Bangladesh?

Bangladesh Animal Welfare Association convenor Adnan Azad told BBC Bangla that there are two main reasons behind this. First, the trend of keeping exotic and rare animals as a hobby has increased rapidly in Bangladesh. Second, smugglers are using Bangladesh as a way to smuggle wildlife to other countries. According to him, many exotic animals are brought to Bangladesh from Thailand and other countries and later transported to other countries including India through the land border. He told that now many people are keeping poisonous tarantula spiders, Mexican black king snakes and even African frogs. This increasing demand is continuously strengthening this illegal market.

Threat to environment and health

Dr. Mohammad Aminul Islam Bhuiyan, Chairman of the Zoology Department of Dhaka University, told BBC Bangla that before bringing any foreign animal to another country, it is necessary to investigate what effect it will have on the local environment and whether it can spread new diseases. According to him, if this process is not completed then local biodiversity may be harmed and health risks to humans may also increase. He said that such illegal business takes place in many countries of the world, but strict action is necessary against the people involved in it. He believes that stopping illegal entry of foreign species is very important to protect the biodiversity of Bangladesh.

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What does the law say and how does trafficking continue?

According to the Bangladesh Forest Department, illegal import, export, purchase, sale, conservation and transportation of exotic wildlife is a punishable offense under the current law of the country. Bangladesh Wildlife Crime Suppression Unit inspector Abdullah As Sadiq told BBC Bangla that regular surveillance is carried out at the airport, but many smugglers try to bring in exotic animals by hiding them among aquarium fish, aquarium species or orchids. He told that many illegal animals are also confiscated at the airport from time to time. According to him, under the Wildlife Protection Act, such a crime can result in a jail sentence of up to three years.

Demand to increase surveillance so that illegal business stops

Adnan Azad told BBC Bangla that compared to gold and other goods, less attention is paid to the investigation of pets or exotic animals. He suggests that a separate office of the Wildlife Crime Control Unit be created at the airport, so that experts can identify which animals are legal and which are not. On the other hand, Bangladesh Wildlife Crime Suppression Unit says that regular campaigns are being conducted across the country and illegal buying and selling of wildlife is being monitored. Experts believe that unless the demand reduces and the surveillance at the border and airport does not become more strict, it will be difficult to completely stop this business.

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