The High Court has instructed the authorities to ensure that bird nests at a mango orchard in Rajshahi are not destroyed.
The court also issued rule asking the local administration to explain why the area of the mango orchard at the Khordh Bausa Village in the northern district’s Bagha Upazila should not be declared a sanctuary for the birds.
It has told the administration chiefs of Rajshahi district and Bagha Upazila the unpazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Bagha to assess whether there is any possibility of loss by the owner of the orchard or the person who got its lease if it is declared a sanctuary for the birds.
They have been ordered to submit the assessment report to the court by 40 days.
The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman came up with the order and suo moto (voluntary) rule on Wednesday (Oct 30) after a Bangla national ran a report the previous day.
Supreme Court lawyer Progna Paramita Roy brought the bench’s attention to the report seeking necessary order to protect the birds.
According to the report, few thousand ‘Shamukkhol’ birds have built nests in 25 trees of the mango orchard. But the birds are now under threat as the owner of the orchard Ataur Rahman wants to destroy their nests to nurse mango trees.
Ataur Rahman, who has taken lease of the garden for two years, on Tuesday told local bird-lovers that he will destroy the nests if any step is not taken in 15 days, says the report.