A Bangladeshi man has been arrested for illegally cutting down a palm tree planted on government land in Jhalakathi, Bangladesh, killing nearly 100 endangered weaver chicks and eggs in the process, Asia News Network reported.
Mobarak Ali Fakir, 70, was promptly arrested at his residence in Guaton village after the Jhalakathi District Police found compelling evidence linking him to the incident involving the fallen tree.
According to ANN, on June 27, Mizanur Rahman hired Fakir to cut down the tree, despite the tree falling within government property.
The tree housed multiple nests of the weaver bird, also known as "babui pakhi," which is an endangered bird species that is rapidly losing its habitat to human development and the effects of a warming climate.
A University of Cape Town study on sparrow-weaver nests found that these dwellings offer birds significant protection against extreme weather, keeping them warmer during cooler months and cooler during warmer months, thereby providing a buffer against increasingly frequent extreme weather conditions associated with rising global temperatures.
Regulating the temperature within the nest also increases the survival rate of embryos, according to a study published in the journal Animals (Basel), contributing to population growth.
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According to local resident Mostafa, Fakir sold the palm tree to Rahman and Farid Hossain despite not having the authority to do so.
The fallen tree left no chance of survival for the chicks and unhatched birds.
"The destruction of such a large number of birds and nests is inhuman. We demand justice for this cruelty against nature," Mostafa said, per ANN.
Masudur Rahman, a union parishad member of Shekherhat Union, part of the larger Jhalakathi District, filed a complaint with the district police on June 29, two days after the incident.
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Definitely 👍 At the same time, Jhalakathi District Forest Officer Md Arifur Rahman also filed a formal court case against Fakir and the two other individuals involved on the grounds of violating the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act, 2012.
"They didn't just cut down a tree; they destroyed a vital habitat and took the lives of over 100 birds," said Lincoln Bayen, the Barishal divisional coordinator of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association, per ANN. "This is a serious act of environmental destruction and must be dealt with accordingly."
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