A gharial breeding centre was opened in Rajshahi today. Photo: BSS

 
RAJSHAHI, April 15, 2025 (BSS) - A gharial breeding centre was opened in the district today with the aim of protecting environmental balance by boosting the population of the critically endangered aquatic animal.

Amir Hosain Chowdhury, Chief Conservator of Forests at the Forest Department, inaugurated the centre by releasing two gharials - one male and one female - into the pond at the Social Forestry Nursery in the city, as part of the gharial conservation programme.

He said the gharials were brought from Gazipur Safari Park, and two more female gharials will be brought soon to maintain a 1:3 male-to-female ratio for successful breeding.

The Forest Department and IUCN Bangladesh jointly took the initiative as part of the implementation of 'Sustainable Forest and Livelihood Project'.

Project Director Govinda Roy, Conservators of Forest Sanaullah Patwary and Subedar Islam, Divisional Forest Officer Rafiquzzaman Shah, Prof Kamrul Hassan from the Department of Zoology at Jahangirnagar University, Prof AM Saleh Reza from the Department of Zoology at Rajshahi University and IUCN Programme Coordinator Sarwar Alam were present on the occasion.

"We have arranged all necessary facilities for successful breeding, particularly for egg-laying, fertilization, and hatching," said Amir Hosain Chowdhury while speaking to journalists, adding that the pond size, water quality, soil condition, and weather are all suitable for making the venture successful.

Detailing their plan for boosting gharial population he said, "We will release the offspring into the nearby Padma River to protect its ecosystem and biodiversity."

He also told the journalists that the gharial conservation programme in Bangladesh aims to help protect this critically endangered species through various initiatives, including captive breeding programs, habitat protection, and awareness campaigns. 

The IUCN and Bangladesh Forest Department are jointly implementing the initiatives, which also include a gharial exchange programme to facilitate captive breeding.