Body Formed to Probe Zebras’ Deaths at Bangabandhu Safari Park

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change today formed a five-member committee to probe the deaths of nine zebras at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park in Sreepur, Gazipur.

The committee members are: additional secretary of the ministry Sanjay Kumar Bhowmik (convener), deputy secretary Mohammad Abdul Wadud Chowdhury (member-secretary), Professor and head of the Department of Zoology at Jahangirnagar University Dr Mohammad Monirul Hasan Khan, the Conservator of Forest Wildlife and Nature Conservation Circle, Dhaka, and former chief veterinary officer of Central Veterinary Hospital Dr ABM Shahidullah.

The probe body has been asked to submit its report to the ministry within 10 working days by identifying the cause behind the deaths of the zebras and with necessary recommendations to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

The committee may co-opt any technical member as required in the interest of proper investigation, a ministry press release said.

At a meeting yesterday, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin instructed the concerned to form a committee to investigate the nine zebras’ deaths at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park, Gazipur this month.