Animal rights groups demand sterilisation, vaccination; some locals cite attacks
Khulna City Corporation's (KCC) sudden move to cull stray dogs in areas under its jurisdiction, including Maheshwarpasha in ward-3, has sparked outrage among animal lovers -- forcing the authorities to halt the campaign almost immediately.
Animal rights groups are urging the government to restart large-scale sterilisation and vaccination programmes, combined with community education. Some locals, meanwhile, are demanding immediate relief from aggressive dogs.
According to city officials, the operation began after multiple complaints from residents who alleged that "mad dogs" had been chasing people and biting children. A video circulated on Facebook showed several men in blue uniforms, armed with long iron catch poles, cornering a frightened dog as a city corporation truck stood by. When locals confronted them and demanded to see legal documents authorising the drive, the workers quietly left the scene.
Anwar Hossain, secretary of the ward, told The Daily Star, "I was at the city corporation office on official duty at the time and was not present at the spot. The office peon, Liton Sikder, was supervising the operation. Local residents had submitted a complaint to the city corporation that several 'rabid dogs' were biting and chasing people. Perhaps that is why the corporation sent a team there."
"We had complaints from different areas in the ward. A hotel owner's grandson was bitten. Locals begged us to take action," said Md Wahiduzzaman Khan, KCC's conservancy officer.
"We do not run mass dog-culling drives. Our team only responds when dogs are identified as sick or rabid," he added.
"Any form of dog culling is both illegal and inhumane," said Bappy Khan, a member of a local animal welfare group. "The government must invest in vaccination, sterilisation and food. Dogs are part of our ecosystem. Killing them destroys the balance."
"Humans and animals are interdependent. If we remove dogs and cats away from city life, we erase a natural relationship that has evolved over thousands of years. They are not intruders -- they are cohabitants," he added.
Their argument is backed by law. The High Court banned dog culling in 2020 on grounds of animal rights. For a few years, vaccination campaigns were carried out in Khulna, with over 5,900 dogs vaccinated in 2023 alone. However, the sterilisation programme -- meant to reduce stray dog numbers humanely -- has long expired. KCC officials admit no spay-neuter project is currently active.
"There are more than 6,000 stray dogs in the city," said KCC's veterinary surgeon, Dr Perugopal Biswas. "Under the Animal Welfare Act, 2019, dogs cannot be randomly killed or displaced. They can only be removed if proven rabid or dangerous."
But vaccinating and sterilising dogs is costly. "It costs Tk 500 to Tk 1,500 to sterilise a single dog and requires post-operative care for days," explained Dr Biswas. "Without a proper budget and ministry approval, it is impossible to sustain."
For many residents, however, the situation feels urgent. "We cannot even ride motorbikes without being chased by a pack of seven or eight dogs," Wahiduzzaman said. "Every day we receive complaints -- someone was bitten, another person needed rabies shots. As a public servant, I feel helpless."
At the same time, pet owners are also worried. One Maheshwarpasha resident, who requested anonymity, told The Daily Star that his own dog was nearly taken away during the raid. "One of my dogs had been behaving erratically, so neighbours complained. When KCC staff tried to seize it, local youths intervened. I am now treating it at the vet instead of abandoning it."
