A case has been filed under the Animal Welfare Act 2019 after eight newborn puppies were drowned in a pond in Ishwardi, Pabna. Police arrested the accused, Nishi Rahman (38), on Tuesday night, hours after Ishwardi Upazila Livestock Officer Aklima Khatun lodged the case at around 11:30 pm. Nishi Rahman is the wife of Hasanur Rahman Nayan, the Ishwardi Upazila Officer of the Small Farmers Development Foundation.
According to police, Nishi Rahman was detained during a raid at a house near Rahimpur Girls’ School around 1:30 am. The case was filed under Section 7 of the Animal Welfare Act, which criminalizes cruelty against animals. She will be produced before court following the completion of legal procedures.
Local residents reported that a mother dog had given birth to eight puppies in the courtyard of the government quarters a week earlier. On Monday, the mother dog was seen running and howling; later, neighbors discovered that the puppies had been bagged and thrown into a pond. The incident sparked outrage among residents.
Officer Hasanur Rahman Nayan stated that his wife had asked him to “remove the puppies” for the safety of their children, but claimed he did not expect them to be killed. Ishwardi Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md. Moniruzzaman condemned the act as “inhumane and cruel,” adding that the officer has been ordered to vacate the government quarters within 24 hours.
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