SANGSAD BHABAN, July 8 (BSS)- The Jatiya Sangsad today passed the Wildlife (Conservation) Bill, 2012 in an amended form aimed at protecting the endangered animals as well as plant lives in the country.
Environment and Forests Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud piloted the bill in the House that was later passed in voice votes.
Earlier, independent lawmaker Fazlul Azim brought a number of amendments to the bill, of which the House accepted one of his
amendment and rests were rejected by voice votes.
In his statement attached with the bill, the minister said the very existence of a number of animals are now under severe threat as no adequate measurers were taken to protect wildlife in the pre-independence period.
He said eight kinds of amphibians, 58 reptiles, 41 different kinds of birds and 40 species of mammals were identified by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as endangered.
The minister informed the House that the government in 1973 framed a law for conservation of the forests. But, since independence no effective measure was taken for conservation of the wildlife.
Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said Bangladesh as a signatory to CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species), CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity), CMS (Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals) and Ramsar Convention, needs to update its own laws coherent with the international laws.
The bill with many other provisions proposed stern action for violation of the law. It proposed one-year imprisonment and Taka 50,000 fine for such a violation.
The law also proposed at least two years and highest seven years imprisonment and minimum Taka one lakh and maximum Taka 10 lakh fine for killing a tiger or elephant.
A person who will commit the offence for the second time would get highest 12 years imprisonment and pay a fine of Taka 15 lakh, the proposed bill said.
Author : Syed R I Rajowan
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