A farmer of Gobindapur village in Moulvibazar's Juri upazila lost 335 ducks in an alleged poisoning incident that villagers say has wiped out his 14 years of work.

Sixty-five-year-old Cherag Ali said he had released a large number of his flock to feed in a flooded area known as Gobindpur beel on Thursday morning. When he returned in the evening, he saw many of the ducks floating dead.

"I quickly brought the live ducks home, but as the light was dim, I could not collect the dead ones," he said.

"After bringing them home, the surviving ducks became even sicker. I tried to save them with tamarind juice, but nothing worked," he added.

Cherag, who had around 500 local ducks—many already laying eggs—said the death of 335 birds has cost him hundreds of thousands of taka.

"These ducks were my life. Now I'm completely destitute," he said.

"I believe the ducks ate poisoned rice. Everything I built over the years was gone in a single day," Cherag said.

A section of residents believe the waterbody had been deliberately poisoned. The land, usually used as a winter habitat for migratory birds, had been leased out for fishing, and paddy mixed with poison—commonly used to trap birds—was allegedly scattered around the area.

Faizur Rahman, a neighbour, said the incident appeared intentional. "This wasn't an accident. This was planned. The poison used is typically for catching birds, but now it has killed innocent ducks. It's dangerous for both animals and humans."

However, another resident, Abdus Samad, said Gobindpur beel is not even frequented by migratory birds.

"We've never seen winter birds here like other parts of Hakaluki Haor. This was done intentionally. The whole village is demanding justice."

Members of the Patharia Wildlife Conservation team also visited the site.

"I saw paddy scattered on the banks and dead ducks floating in the water," said team member Khurshed Alom.

"Bird hunters often spread poisoned paddy during winter. Such actions are morally reprehensible and devastating for the environment."

He warned that poison in waterbodies harms entire ecosystems, including aquatic life and soil.

"We call on the administration to investigate thoroughly and punish the culprits."

Mofiz Ali, the leaseholder of the land, denied involvement, saying, "We've been busy fishing in another area. We had no idea about any poisoning."

Murshedul Alam Bhuiyan, officer-in-charge of Juri Police Station, said a full investigation is underway.

"We will take all necessary legal steps after thoroughly examining the matter," he added.