Environment and biodiversity are threatened by degradation of forests, deforestation and unplanned industrialization. Already, many animals have disappeared from Bangladesh. Barn owls are an endangered species. Once upon a time, they were occasionally seen in bamboo forests. However, nowadays it is very rare to spot one in the wild.
Ramim Imam, a resident of Habiganj town, released a barn owl into the wild on Monday, after three days of nurturing the endangered animal. He is a lecturer in English at the local Aleya Zahir College.
Ramim Imam said a group of young men injured the owl by throwing stones at it sat the Badiuzzaman Khan road last Friday. He rescued the owl and brought it to his house and took care of it for three days. At one point, the owl was released to the open sky on Monday afternoon.
Ramim Imam's wife Ayesha Siddiqua said that the barn owl was kept inside the house for three days and was fed with water, bananas and biscuits. When he finally healed, we let him go.
Prof Zahirul Haque Shakil of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), Sylhet said, that at one time Habiganj had extensive forest land. Biodiversity is under threat today due to unplanned industrialization and reckless deforestation. Perhaps the barn owl was searching for a safe habitat.’ He added that everyone should be mindful to protect biodiversity.