Although the wildlife preservation act prohibits hunting migratory birds and wild animals, the law is not being implemented. Open sales of wild and migratory birds by traders all over the city have become all too flagrant.

Officials blamed the laxity of the anti-hunting drive on lack of manpower in the wildlife conservatory section of the forest department. One of them cited unawareness as another reason for the rise in wildlife captures.

The law imposes punishment of a six-month imprisonment, which can be extended to a year or a fine of up to Tk 1,000 or both, along with confiscation of firearms, vehicles, vessels, watercrafts, appliances or any other tools used in hunting.

The district and sessions judge has the authority to hear bail petitions on cases filed under the law.

Although the government had the provision to permit area-specific shooting and hunting of certain species, a ban was imposed on it five years ago to protect ecological balance.

With the ban coming to an end this June, a decision at an inter-ministerial meeting on October 16 said the ban would continue indefinitely, a forest department official said.

"People are still unaware of the importance of migratory birds and the global ecological balance they make," he said. "The sale of these birds is patronised by rich urban dwellers."

"They are the largest group of wildlife customers. They await the opportunity of purchasing the hunted birds or animals to make them delicious meals. There should be a law against the consumers too, which will result in the protection of wildlife," he said.

The places where the guest birds gather are Pilkhana, Dhaka National Zoo and Botanical Garden, Bangabhaban compound, Ceramic Lake (Mirpur), Jahangirnagar University and water-bodies around the city.

The water-bodies in Dhaka are now polluted, disturbed and unsuitable for migratory birds. "Last year no birds were found in the Botanical Garden Lake as there were no enough weeds for them. Day by day people are destroying the water-bodies and making them inapt for wildlife," the official said.

Chalan Beel in Pabna and haors in Sunamganj are the areas from where the local migratory birds fly to Dhaka, and birds also come from most winter-prone countries like Siberia and Russia.

Among the birds that migrate from abroad and local areas are lesser whistling teal, pintail, poachard and some other resident birds including egret, heron, duckling, darter, stork, little cormorant, dove, swan, white-breasted water hen and moorhen.

The spots where birds sell in the open are Elephant Road, New Elephant Road, Farmgate, Manik Miah Avenue, Asad Gate, Satmasjid Road, New Market, Banglamotor, Maghbazar, Mahakhali and Gulshan.