Dolphins vital to river health, says environmental adviser

Bangladesh’s environment adviser linked dolphin populations to river health and human survival on Sunday while addressing wildlife protection advocates. Syeda Rizwana Hasan said polluted waterways threaten both aquatic mammals and communities that depend on clean rivers for their welfare.

Hasan told attendees at an International Freshwater Dolphin Day event that rising dolphin numbers indicate successful river conservation while declining populations signal environmental damage. The adviser called for behavioral shifts beyond legal frameworks to prevent cruelty toward animals and warned that harming innocent creatures reflects societal moral decline.

Officials released a conservation handbook at the Forest Department gathering in Agargaon. Hasan proposed creating volunteer networks across districts to assist with wildlife rescue operations and thanked those already working to protect endangered species.

The water resources ministry leader emphasized that protecting nature ultimately safeguards humanity. Chief Conservator of Forests Md Amir Hossain Chowdhury chaired the discussion alongside conservation officials and World Bank representatives.