Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has won the Bangabandhu Award for Wildlife Conservation 2015.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina handed over the award at the inaugural ceremony of the national forestation campaign and tree fair held at the National Agronomist Institute in the capital Sunday, on the occasion of World Environment Day.
RAB Director General Benazir Ahmed and Additional Director General Col Ziaul Ahsan received the award.
Sheikh Hasina thanked and praised RAB for activities in wildlife and environment conservation and increasing public awareness in these connections.
RAB officials said since the beginning of their journey, they have been very active about wildlife conservation and has operated a number of successful drives. Executive Magistrate Anowar Pasha played an important role during those drives.
According to a press release of RAB, it has conducted 55 drives so far and arrested 177 people for their involvement in wildlife trafficking.
The elite force has recovered six tigers, 11 tiger skins, 55 tiger tooth, 29 deers, 94 deer skins, 52 snakes, 21 snake skins, 9.38 litre of snake venom, 172 kinds of winged snakes, 196 turtles and 944 different types of birds during the drives.
Besides, the battalion has given different jail terms to 17 people and penalised a total of Tk16 lakh.
Ministers and officials of the Environment and Forest Ministry and the Forests Department were present at the event among others.