The government has issued two major directives banning dog culling and requiring formal investigations into any such incidents, drawing strong praise from actor Jaya Ahsan, who publicly raised concerns over the alleged killing of dogs in Gopalganj in October.
The orders, circulated across all levels of local administration, are being described by campaigners as a potential turning point in Bangladesh’s approach to animal welfare.
Speaking to a national daily, Jaya said the directives were long overdue and reflected the urgent need for a humane and lawful framework for animal protection.
“Animals are killed in various parts of the country from time to time, so I had requested the Livestock Adviser to issue a government circular on animal protection and on investigating animal killings. At the same time, this circular needed to take a firm stand against dog culling. It has finally been issued,” she said.
“This letter was extremely necessary. It has been sent to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives and this is good news for us,” she added.
According to Jaya, the government has issued two separate circulars. The first sets out a strict prohibition on dog culling and instructs authorities to follow humane dog-management practices. It also directs city mayors, deputy commissioners, upazila nirbahi officers, municipal mayors and union parishad chairmen to prevent any dog-killing within their jurisdictions.
The second directive addresses the long-standing lack of accountability and is titled “Submission of investigation reports on incidents of dog culling”. Jaya noted that although incidents occurred repeatedly, proper inquiries were uncommon.
“Now the district administration will be legally obliged to submit an investigation report on the Gopalganj incident and everyone will be bound to comply with these directives. This measure will strengthen the legal protection of animal rights,” she said.
Jaya also acknowledged the tireless work of animal-welfare organisations, many of which have long struggled to secure official action. “These groups have been working for years but results often did not materialise even after repeated appeals.”
“With these government directives in place, we hope that everyone will now cooperate. Working together for animal protection will become much easier,” she added.
Advocates say the new orders may mark a decisive shift towards institutionalising humane and accountable animal-management practices across Bangladesh.
