Poachers have become active in different upazilas of the district due to negligence of the authorities concerned.

They are hunting deer indiscriminately in collusion with the local influential people, and selling the flesh, hides and horns at high prices.

Forest department personnel arrested two people with arms from Dhalaicherra bamboo forest in Juri upazila of the district on Thursday. They are Abdur Rouf, 55, and Hason Ali of Fotiguli village in Kulaura upazila.

Raghna beat officer Nazrul Islam told this correspondent yesterday that police arrested them with five bullets and a single-barrel gun. "We filed a case against them under the Arms Act with Juri Police Station on Friday," he added.

The forest department does not have any list of professional poachers nor has it taken any positive move to stop poaching of deer, said a conservator of forests, seeking anonymity, adding that deer

population is declining fast in the forests in the district.

According to locals, at least 10 organised groups of poachers are involved in poaching animals, mainly deer.

The poachers mainly use traps, sedatives mixed with food and firearms to hunt deer.

Assistant Conservator of Forests in Sylhet Rajesh Chakma told this correspondent that some poachers kill deer round the year without facing any obstacles and sell the venison to their agents.

He added that shortage of manpower and other logistic support are hampering operations against poachers.

General Secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa) Sylhet chapter Abdul Karim Kim told this correspondent that many poor people adjacent to the forest have chosen deer poaching as their means of livelihood. It is very important to create awareness among the people of the forest area about the matter to stop poaching, he added.