Stars join public outcry after eight puppies found drowned in Ishwardi

A wave of outrage has swept Bangladesh after eight newborn puppies were found dumped in a pond in Ishwardi, Pabna — an act that celebrities, animal lovers and local officials have condemned as cruel and unforgivable. 

Social media erupted after images and accounts of the incident circulated, drawing sharp condemnation from stars including Jaya Ahsan, Peya Jannatul, Niloy Alamgir and Tawsif Mahbub, who demanded the harshest possible punishment for those responsible.

Jaya Ahsan wrote on Facebook, "A cruel, merciless, mentally unbalanced person has killed eight puppies in Ishwardi. I demand the strictest punishment for the killer." 

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Woman held over killing of eight puppies

Niloy Alamgir posted that the mother dog had been left beside her dead pups and asked readers to imagine the animals' last desperate struggles in the sack before they drowned. "Think of the pain the mother is now feeling," he wrote. "She may die from grief. I call for the maximum penalty for this murder."

The episode intensified public pressure on local authorities. Three days after the bodies were found on Saturday (November 29) morning near the Upazila Parishad auditorium pond, the administration ordered the removal of the accused official from the government residence. 

The Ishwardi Upazila Nirbahi Officer, Moniruzzaman, said the official — identified as Hasanur Rahman Nayon, an Ishwardi officer with the Small Farmers Development Foundation — was directed to vacate the government bungalow as a disciplinary measure. Local police recovered the eight bodies wrapped in a sack and said the pups had been killed before being dumped.

Nayon, who has acknowledged the incident, told reporters that his wife had asked him to "remove" the puppies for the safety of their children, but claimed he did not expect them to be disposed of in this manner. "I am ashamed and sorry about what happened," he said.

Residents say a mother dog in the officer's compound had given birth to the litter about a week earlier. On Saturday, neighbours followed the mother's plaintive cries and found the puppies' bodies in the pond. Villagers said the mother sat by the graves and howled.

The Upazila administration has assigned the Department of Livestock Services to care for the mother dog, and the police say they are investigating the case under animal cruelty provisions. Online, many users have urged stricter enforcement of animal protection laws; others called for public education about humane treatment.

Actress Peya Jannatul wrote, "Being a government officer's wife doesn't grant anyone the right to act with impunity — today's arrest makes that crystal clear. Throwing eight helpless puppies into a pond inside a bag isn't just cruelty; it's a stain on our humanity."

"For anyone who believes animals are voiceless and therefore disposable, consider this your warning. The people of this country — and its laws — will no longer look away. Punishments will grow tougher. Before harming an animal, remember: they feel pain, they have lives. The era of abusing the powerless is over. Accountability has begun," she concludes.