The menace of stray dogs has increased in Rajshahi city during the last couple of years. No action is being taken by the authorities concerned of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) to control the breeding of stray dogs.
RCC authorities said, “The breeding of stray dogs could not be checked due to unavailability of birth control vaccines.”
RCC officials said that killing of stray dogs has been stopped by Rajshahi City Corporation for more than last two decades because Animal Rights Activists across the country were against the killing of stray dogs by beating or by applying poison.
Rights groups have also termed the killing of stray dogs as cruel and brutal. Thus the numbers of stray dogs have increased rapidly in the city. Often stray dogs are seen standing beside the roads and attacking the people while they try to pass through roads. They also attack in packs the passengers plying on rickshaws or auto rickshaws.
City people are facing a huge problem because of these stray dogs. They couldn’t even walk on some city roads freely. Locals usually face problems from stray dogs during nights.
RCC sources said that the number of stray dogs has increased to 4 to 5 times than last year.
Shaikh Mamun, Conservation Officer of RCC said, “Government did not allow killing or eliminating stray dogs by beating or poisoning rather controlling birth of stray dogs. That should be done through birth control vaccines or sterilizing of those dogs. But, there was no supply of feline birth control vaccines in RCC at present.”
Sources further informed the number of dog-bite patients were increasing at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital in recent days. Specially, after the winter was over and the fear of Covid-19 spread among people has decreased, the city markets remained open till 11:00pm and people who were returning to their houses late at night were being attacked by stray dogs. RMCH emergency sources informed, the number of dog bitten patients have been increased to 30 to 35 daily as against 20 to 25 earlier.
Shamsunnahar of Seroil area said that the menace of stray dogs has increased alarmingly during the last couple of years. She said, “It is almost inaccessible to enter into the lane of my house at night because of barking and attacks of the stray dogs.”
Poly Khatun, a resident of Tikapara area of the city who was admitted to the Emergency of RMCH said that she was walking in her garden when a pack of dogs attacked and bit her. As a result she had to take vaccine at the emergency department. She demanded to eliminate stray dogs from the city as soon as possible.
