Kathmandu: Bangladesh has called for strengthening regional intelligence sharing, coordinated law enforcement, and joint operations to tackle the growing transnational and organized wildlife crime in South Asia.
This call was made on September 10 during the first General Assembly of the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) held in Kathmandu. Representatives from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Pakistan, Maldives, and Bangladesh—out of the 8 member countries comprising SAWEN—were present at the conference.
Dol Prasad Aryal, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nepal, graced the event as the Chief Guest. Some of the Special Guests included Abdul Awal Mintoo, Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change of Bangladesh; and Dr. Rajendra Prasad Mishra, Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests, and Environment of Nepal. The event was chaired by Hon. Gita Chaudhary, Minister for Agriculture, Forests, and Environment of Nepal.
Delivering his remarks at the conference, Bangladesh Minister Mintoo stated that wildlife and ecosystems do not recognize political boundaries. Currently, criminal syndicates are conducting transnational wildlife trafficking by exploiting borders, transport systems, commercial channels, online platforms, and financial networks.
He mentioned that law enforcement activities should not be limited merely to wildlife seizures and the arrest of offenders; rather, the organizers, financiers, and criminal networks behind these crimes must be identified, investigated, and neutralized. According to him, every seizure incident should be utilized as an opportunity for intelligence gathering—finding answers to questions such as where the wildlife originated, the route it took, who was involved, who financed it, and its final destination.
Regarding the future activities of SAWEN, Bangladesh highlighted five priorities. These are: strong regional intelligence sharing, results-oriented law enforcement, establishing a regional wildlife crime information system, enhancing capacity to combat online wildlife crime, and conducting financial investigations to track illicit money flows.
The Minister emphasized online monitoring, cyber investigations, and the use of digital evidence to combat online wildlife crime. Simultaneously, for major wildlife crimes, he called for financial investigations, asset tracing, and the application of anti-money laundering measures in accordance with national laws.
He stressed the importance of increasing the use of wildlife forensics, DNA analysis, digital forensics, and geospatial technologies, alongside promoting joint training, expert exchanges, and laboratory capacity sharing among member countries. He also called for strengthening regional cooperation in the rescue, rehabilitation, and repatriation of seized live wildlife.
Referring to the SAWEN Strategic Plan 2026–2030, the Minister noted that the proposed plan creates a vital opportunity to translate these priorities into specific and measurable regional programs. Bangladesh supports a plan that prioritizes intelligence sharing, law enforcement, criminal justice, digital and financial investigations, science and forensics, capacity development, and wildlife demand reduction.
The Minister added that this first General Assembly of SAWEN has created a unique opportunity to turn political commitment into practical operational capability. He expressed hope that member countries would return from Kathmandu with a shared commitment to a stronger intelligence-sharing mechanism, practical joint operations, and the dismantling of criminal networks that threaten wildlife.
The Minister reiterated that Bangladesh stands ready to build a strong, interconnected, and effective regional wildlife law enforcement system in collaboration with all SAWEN member countries, international organizations, and development partners.
He concluded by expressing his expectation that the decisions adopted in Kathmandu will be reflected in stronger actions across all domains—including forests, wetlands, borders, ports, airports, online platforms, laboratories, courts, and communities.
