Md Rakel Islam, Bogura 

Police have recovered 103 wild parrots from a cage after searching a passenger bus in Bogura. The birds were released into the open sky in the presence of forest department officials in front of the district police superintendent's office on Thursday  afternoon.

It is learnt that on the basis of secret information that a large number of parakeets were being taken for smuggling, the District Detective Branch (DB) police conducted a raid in Thanthania area of the city around 11 pm on Wednesday. A search was conducted on a bus named Al Baraka Travels, which was going from Naogaon to Dhaka, under the leadership of Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police of Shibganj Circle, Rabiul Islam. Later, 103 parakeet parakeets, kept in 10 plastic cages, were recovered inside the side box of the bus.

Dulal Kumar Saha, the headquarters range officer of the Bogra Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Department, confirmed that the rescued birds include male and female birds of the 'Meth Tia' and 'Lal Matha Tia' species.

Forest officer Dulal Kumar Saha said, these birds are mainly wild birds of the hilly areas of Bangladesh and India. When they come to the corn and chilli fields in search of food, a group of unscrupulous people try to catch them and illegally trade and smuggle them. After receiving the information, the birds were released on the orders of higher authorities. However, as no accused was found at the spot, a case could not be registered immediately.

Regarding the operation, Bogra Superintendent of Police Mirza Sayem Mahmud said that according to the Wildlife Conservation Act, it is completely prohibited to catch or trade these wild birds. The person carrying the birds escaped before the bus could be stopped at Thanthania bus stand.

The police superintendent also said that the bus driver and supervisor have been questioned and a mobile number has been recovered. Based on this, efforts are underway to identify the smuggling syndicate. If the forest department receives a written complaint, a regular case will be filed as a legal measure.