Ishwardi, Dec 03 (V7N) – A government officer in Pabna’s Ishwardi upazila has been ordered to vacate his official residence after being accused of killing eight newborn puppies by drowning them in a pond. The directive was issued on Monday, and the officer left the residence with his family on Tuesday.
According to Ishwardi Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md. Moniruzzaman, a formal notice was served on Monday instructing Hasanur Rahman Nayon, an officer of the Small Farmers Development Foundation under the Rural Development and Cooperative Division, to immediately leave the government quarters. The UNO confirmed that on Tuesday night, Nayon vacated the residence and moved to a rented home.
The incident has triggered widespread outrage in the upazila, prompting the local livestock office to initiate legal action.
Ishwardi Upazila Livestock Officer Aklima Khatun said preparations were underway Tuesday night to file a case with Ishwardi Police Station regarding the killing of the puppies.
Officer-in-Charge A.S.M. Abdun Nur confirmed that the case statement was being drafted and would be registered upon submission.
The mother dog, named Tom, had been living near the UNO’s residence for a long time and was known to locals for her gentle nature. A week earlier, Tom gave birth to eight puppies. On Monday morning, she was seen crying and frantically searching for her missing babies.
Investigations revealed that on Sunday night, Nayon and his wife allegedly instructed their household worker to place the eight puppies in a sack and dump them into the pond beside the upazila complex. The bodies of the puppies were discovered the next morning. Later in the afternoon, the dead puppies were buried beside the UNO’s residence.
When questioned, the accused officer admitted that his wife became irritated because the puppies frequently cried near their door, leading her to order the worker to dispose of them in the pond.
Throughout Tuesday, the grieving mother dog roamed the upazila premises, repeatedly returning to the area near the UNO office. Attempts to move her away were unsuccessful, and she continued searching the grounds for her lost puppies.
The case has sparked discussions on animal cruelty, the responsibilities of public officials, and the urgent need for stronger enforcement of animal welfare laws in Bangladesh.
END/MSR/SMA/
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