Dhaka, Sunday, 31 March 2024: Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury said exemplary measures will be taken against wildlife trafficking and poaching in Bangladesh. Minister Chowdhury announced plans to implement harsher penalties for offenders, surpassing those in neighboring countries, and to bolster the Wildlife Crime Control Unit of the Forest Department. Additionally, he pledged to amend regulations for more effective enforcement. Environment Minister Saber Chowdhury made these remarks during a meeting with a delegation from the Center for Research and Information convened on Sunday, 31 March 2024, at his office in the Bangladesh Secretariat. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss strategies for wildlife conservation and the prevention of illegal trafficking. Minister Chowdhury highlighted the importance of safeguarding wildlife, citing tigers as pivotal to the preservation of the Sundarbans. He expressed concern over Bangladesh’s role as a transit point and domestic market for wildlife traffickers, underscoring the urgency of preventing unlawful activities. Furthermore, he stressed the imperative to protect the Chattogram Hill Tracts, a global biodiversity hotspot, through concerted efforts. Additional Secretary (Administration) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Iqbal Abdullah Harun and senior officials of Centre for Research and Information were present on the occasion.