This year, the number of winter birds increased substantially, experts said here.

Every winter tens of thousands of guest birds of about 150 species flock to different water bodies and haors here from Siberia and other cold regions.

With their arrival, the poachers also have become active and started violating laws. Members of the law enforcement agencies are indifferent although illegal hunting goes on under their nose.

While visiting the water bodies, this correspondent talked to local people who complained of bird hunting with poisonous traps and nets. The poachers sell guest birds at high prices in different markets in the district, they said.

Locals alleged that government officials and political leaders openly go to different haors for hunting guest birds. Usually, they do the job on holidays. Some also bribe 'live' guest birds to their bosses for getting favour. Local politicians also send guest birds to influentials at Moulvibazar or Dhaka.

Most of the licensed gun holders who visit haor are amateur hunters while poor and unemployed people of the area hunt birds just to earn a living, sources said.

In the winter of 2004, thousands of guest birds were killed by poisoning in Hakaluki Haor. Following publication of the news in various national dailies, environmentalists and people of all walks of life were shocked and thronged the haor. From then on, the environmentalists started motivational campaigns to save guest birds.

Environmentalists expressed their opinion in favour of fresh government policy for preservation of water bodies and guest birds.

However, NGOs like 'CNRS' and 'MEECH Project' have started working to establish sanctuaries for winter birds at Hakaluki Haor and Hail Haor.

Srimongal MEECH Project office sources said a survey on migratory birds of Hail Haor was conducted by its project advisor and bird specialist Poll M Thompson in the first week of February last year. During the period, he counted birds for three days and said that 152 species of birds flocked to the haor that year. Of these, 88 species were aquatic birds.

Thompson also marked eight endangered species of birds in the haor during the study.

On contact, a field officer of MEECH Project told this correspondent that guest birds start coming to water bodies and haors in December. Their number increased this year.