Dhaka, 4 September:
Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Md. Shahab Uddin said, vultures contribute a
lot to protect the environment.  The Bangladesh government is working relentlessly to preserve the
vultures.  However, conservation of vultures and other wildlife is difficult for the government alone.
Therefore, individuals dedicated to the conservation of nature and wildlife, scientists have to work
diligently from their respective positions to protect vultures.  He said the government will provide
government recognition and necessary financial assistance to vulture conservation individuals and
organizations.
The Minister for Environment and Forests said this while addressing a webinar organized by the
Forest Department on the occasion of International Vulture Awareness Day on Saturday from the official
residence in Dhaka.
Deputy Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Begum Habibun Nahar, Secretary
Md. Mostafa Kamal and Additional Secretary Iqbal Abdullah Harun addressed the webinar as the special
guests under the chairmanship of Md. Amir Hossain Chowdhury, Chief Conservator of Forests.  Enam Ul
Haq, Founder of Bangladesh Bird Club, Mukid Majumder Babu, Chairman of Nature and Life Foundation,
Dr. SM Iqbal, President of Bangladesh Biodiversity Conservation Federation, Rakibul Amin, Country
Representative of International Union for Conservation of Nature in Bangladesh and Molla Rezaul Karim
of Wildlife and Nature Conservation spoke as a panelist on the occasion.  ABM Sarwar Alam, Program
Manager, IUCN, presented the keynote address at the webinar.
Referring to various initiatives taken by the government for the conservation of vultures, the
minister said that in January this year, the government banned the harmful drug ketoprofen for vultures,
which has set an example in the world in protecting vultures.  The cabinet also directed that other harmful
drugs such as fluconazole and aceclofenac should not be allowed in our country.  Safe medicine for
vultures Meloxicam has been suggested for use in infected animals.  The milestone we achieved in 2010 by
banning diclofenac, a harmful drug for vultures nationwide, is also seen as a model for the global
conservation community.  He said that 'Bangladesh National Vulture Conservation Committee' has been
formed for vulture conservation.  In 2014, two regions of the country were declared as safe areas for
vultures.  In 2015, two feeding stations have been set up at the Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary in
Habiganj and the Sundarbans to meet the demand for extra food during the vulture breeding season.
The Forest Minister said all kinds of activities are being carried out for the conservation of vultures
by giving priority to the ten-year Bangladesh Vulture Conservation Action Plan formulated in 2016.  In
2017, a vulture rescue and identification center has been set up at Singra in Dinajpur to conduct rescue and
rehabilitation activities for sick and injured vultures.  So far, 115 Himalayan Griffon species of vultures
have been rescued and released into the wild.  A vulture conservation team has been formed involving the
local public for long-term monitoring of vulture habitat and management of vulture safe areas.  As a result
of multi-pronged measures of the government, the breeding success of vultures in Rema-Kalenga of
Habiganj has increased from 44 percent to 56 percent by 2020.  The minister called upon all to work
together to protect the vultures that have survived so far.