Animal abuse must stop: Jaya Ahsan

It was sultry afternoon when Jaya Ahsan, seemingly in a serious mood, joined a roundtable at The Daily Star. The roundtable was the first of its kind in the organisation, focusing on the welfare of stray animals, their population management, and the state's responsibility toward the voiceless.

As the roundtable took shape, the National Award-winning actress attentively listened to the observations of Dr Md Shahinur Alam, Director of the Department of Livestock's Medicine Store; Brigadier Imrul Quais Chowdhury, Chief Health Officer of Dhaka North City Corporation; Rubaiya Ahmad, Founder and Chairperson of Obhoyaronno – Bangladesh Animal Welfare Foundation; Dr Cynthia Farid, lawyer at the Bangladesh Supreme Court; Zafar Sobhan, lawyer, journalist, and animal welfare activist; Saqeb Mahbub, lawyer at Mahbub & Co; and Dr Nusrat Jahan, Senior Associate Veterinarian at Bangladesh Animal Care Centre.

"I've learned a lot today," said Jaya, noticeably grimmer than her usual demeanor. "I will say that in my industry, there are barely proper guidelines for human beings – and in a country where animals are seen as 'less', it's really challenging to ensure their rights, especially on sets."

Jaya Ahsan played an instrumental role in ensuring justice for elephants. Responding to a writ filed by popular actress Jaya Ahsan and PAW Foundation Founder and Chairman Rakibul Haque Amil, a court suspended the issuing and renewal of licenses to adopt elephants from the wild.

The actress continued with an anecdote from a set: "Once, I saw a monkey kept on a set for hours, and the crew were clearly trying to hide it from me." Once confronted, they simply said that they were properly feeding the animal, as a justification for keeping it for so long. "This is the state of 'animal welfare', even in the minds of artistes."

Jaya emphasised the need for artistes to genuinely understand the importance of animal rights and empathy toward them. "While there are many artistes who adopted the 'animal lover' moniker purely out of fashion, at the very least, they now know what it's like to care for a cat or a dog, which will inspire empathy when they deal with a stray."

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"While we have a long way to go, we must tread the path together," concluded Jaya.