Rumon Pradhan*, a resident of Bagerhat's Rampal, wanted to make an impression.
He had invited his relatives for dinner, but now he had to set the menu. Beef, a prized meat for such occasions, was out of the question. So was mutton. Both came with steep tags – Tk 800 per kg and Tk 1,000 per kg, respectively.
But he happened across another, relatively cheaper option: deer meat.
Although outlawed, a steady business for deer meat has been growing quietly in the shadows of the Sundarbans.
Priced at between Tk 500 to Tk 700 per kilogramme, Rumon figured he could get a good deal.
But how do you secure the prized venison?
Some 20 kilometres away from Pradhan's home lies the country's famous mangrove forest, a swampy land that is hard to navigate. This is where deer can be found, although not exactly in abundance. One must also contend with crocodiles and tigers.
Thankfully, Pradhan doesn't have to go all the way. There is a deer meat home delivery system.
Deer to doorstep
Pradhan's first step was to contact a seller over the phone. He called several times before finally getting an answer.
At first, the seller showed no interest. That is, until Pradhan provided a reference.
Step one: send an advance, around Tk350 per kg.
Pradhan readily agreed and was told the delivery would be made to his chosen address the following day.
Delivery, however, would cost extra. Pradhan agreed to that condition as well. The payment could be sent through microfinance services.
Like clockwork, the next day his bell rang. An unknown man was at the door, carrying a plastic bag, with vegetables jutting out from the top.
Towards the bottom, hidden under the vegetable, was another polythene bag, hiding away the venison.
As soon as he received his package, the deliveryman bolted.
After the first successful delivery, Pradhan never faced problems ordering deer meat.
Speaking to Dhaka Stream, he said many people in the area were involved in deer hunting and smuggling.
"Deer meat can only be obtained if they trust you. The poachers are very cautious. The business relies entirely on trust and discretion."
Operations underway, not enough
Despite banning fishermen and other people from entering the Sundarbans during June-August, which is the breeding season for wild animals and fish, poachers have not stopped their activities.
Several poachers collude with local influentials, government officials and even politicians to continue their business, sources said.
In the past six months, members of the Coast Guard have arrested 20 deer poachers and confiscated around 600kgs of venison, eight skins and 200 traps from different areas adjacent to the Sundarbans.
In addition, in the last one month, Coast Guard's East Sundarbans Division of Bagerhat conducted operations and recovered 2,615 deer hunting traps from different areas of the Sundarbans. During this time, 12 poachers were arrested and 12 cases were filed for various crimes, including hunting deer and fish with poison.
In May, the forest department launched combing operations in the Sundarbans to arrest deer poachers and smugglers, as well as to destroy deer traps, following a recent surge in poaching activities in the mangrove forest.
Imran Ahmed, Conservator of Forests (CF), told BSS that some criminals, disguised as fishermen, bawalis (woodcutters), and mouals (honey collectors), are actively engaged in poaching deer and smuggling them to other parts of the country.
"The combing operation has yielded encouraging results in combating recent deer poaching," he said.
Professor Anwarul Kader, executive director of the Sundarbans Academy, told BSS that the demand for venison and deer parts is gradually rising among smugglers.
"Poachers have become more desperate as the demand for venison has increased due to its low price in areas surrounding the Sundarbans," he said, adding that the ongoing combing operation would help uproot organised poaching rings.
For now, with the spike in demand, crackdowns have done little to deter the criminals.
'We are regular deer hunters'
Salaam Sheikh*, a resident of Chila Union in Mongla, is a self-professed deer hunter and fisherman.
"The hunters hide among the fishermen who enter the forest with permits. They can also tag along with honey collectors. If an opportunity arises, they set traps and hunt the deer," he said.
Sheikh said there were several large gangs of poachers in the forest, who were allegedly protected by higher-ups.
"The local public representatives and influentials…they are the real hunters."
He said deer were hunted and venison was sold from door to door.
"Apart from this, the demand for deer meat increases in areas adjacent to the Sundarbans on special occasions such as Eid-ul-Adha, when the locals and the administration also eat venison."
Another hunter, Sohel, a resident of Sundarban union, has been caught by law enforcers several times.
Speaking to Dhaka Stream, he said, "We, who are regular deer hunters, always hunt in a group of 5-6. One group's job is to hunt wild deer and deliver them to the locality, while the other group's job is to deliver meat to the buyers."
He, however, shrugged off the role of local influentials and politicians.
"This is not entirely true. In areas adjacent to the Sundarbans, influential and political leaders take free deer meat from us. In return, when deer hunters come to the area, the local villagers do not dare to say anything to us for fear of them. This is the only benefit we get from them."
Regarding the buyers, Sohel said it was usually the upper middle class and middle class families in nearby areas.
Locals are charged Tk 500 to Tk 700, depending on the quantity that they purchase. Based on how far away the buyer is, the price can rise to between Tk 1,000-1,500 per kg.
The Sundarbans' spotted deer population was recorded at 1,40,357 in 2024, up from 83,000 in 2004, making them easier prey for poachers.
*Names have been changed to protect privacy
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