UNO’s initiative to protect the 400 year old traditional monkeys
ছবি: সংগৃহীত
The traditional 400-year-old monkey of Dhamrai upazila of Dhaka is on the verge of extinction. Dhamrai was once known as a monkey sanctuary. The monkeys are currently in food crisis. Not getting food, they are now raiding the houses of people in the area. As soon as they see something in the hands of the visitors, the monkeys come down in groups thinking it is food, as if the person who came has known them for a long time. Monkeys are said to have appeared in this area in 1604.
The number of monkeys is decreasing day by day due to food crisis, lack of a favorable environment for living and roaming. In the evolution of time, mature structures have been made by cutting down trees. These wires have been connected to electric wires. As a result, several monkeys have already died due to electrocution.
The pourashava is also turning into a densely populated area as the food crisis is on the rise.
Once upon a time there were thousands of monkeys in Dhamrai. Now the number is only 200. Although they are few in number at present, there is no official allocation of food for them. However, this time the Upazila Nirbahi Officer has taken initiative to protect the biodiversity. He has applied for government food assistance from Tk. 30,000 per month to prevent the extinction of monkeys.
Dhamrai Upazila Nirbahi Officer Hossain Mohammad Hai Jockey shared this information in a post on his Facebook page on Thursday (September 30).
According to the locals, the monkeys are now raiding houses, shops and educational institutions in the area in search of food. Although some food is supplied locally at the individual level, the crisis persists due to the lack of a permanent system. This is why monkeys often go hungry. As soon as they see something in the hands of the visitors and the public, the monkeys think of food and come down in groups and often attack them.
In this regard, Dhamrai Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Hossain Mohammad Hai Jockey told Barta24.com that in order to save the monkeys from extinction, the unique resources of nature in maintaining the balance of the environment, as per the decision of the monthly coordination meeting of the Upazila Parishad on September 9 It has been decided to send a letter to the Local Government Division seeking permission to spend Tk 30,000 per month.
He further said that as per the decision taken, an application has been sent to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives to take necessary steps to sanction natural resources from the revenue fund of the upazila and to spend Tk. 30,000 per month on food to protect the heritage monkeys of Dhamrai upazila. He also thinks that if this food is found, the food crisis of monkeys will be reduced and their extinction will be prevented.
