TBM Report
In a bizarre turn of events in Khagrachari, the Forest Department has formed a three-member investigation committee to probe allegations against a Range Officer who reportedly released a domestic rooster instead of a seized Red Junglefowl. The Divisional Forest Officer, Md. Farid Mia, initiated the probe on Friday night following public outcry and accusations of professional misconduct against Jaliapara Range Officer, Md. Sirajul Islam.
The controversy erupted when Sirajul Islam claimed to have released the seized Red Junglefowl into the wild and shared a photo with local journalists as proof. However, local residents and wildlife experts quickly pointed out that the bird in the picture was a common domestic rooster, not the rare wild species. Professor Manzurul Kibria of the Zoology Department at Chittagong University confirmed that the photo did not depict a Red Junglefowl. Under pressure, the Range Officer admitted the photo was a year old but failed to explain why he provided misleading information.
The investigation committee, headed by Matiranga Range Officer Md. Javedur Rahman Sarkar, has been directed to submit an urgent report. The Red Junglefowl is a protected species under Bangladesh’s wildlife laws, and mishandling or misappropriating such wildlife is a serious offense. This incident has raised concerns about the integrity of local forest officials and their commitment to wildlife conservation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
