Sitesh Ranjan Deb, founder and chairman of the Bangladesh Wildlife Service Foundation and a prominent figure in the country's wildlife conservation movement, passed away on Tuesday morning in Sreemangal. He was 81.

According to family members, Deb had been suffering from diabetes, hypertension, kidney-related complications, and other age-related illnesses for some time. His condition deteriorated on Tuesday morning, and he was taken to a private clinic in Sreemangal, where doctors declared him dead at around 9:05am.

He is survived by three sons, four daughters, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, relatives, and numerous admirers whose lives he touched through decades of environmental and conservation work.

Following his death, his body was taken to the Bangladesh Wildlife Service Foundation, the institution he established and nurtured over the years. People from different walks of life, including conservationists, local residents, and well-wishers, gathered there to pay their final respects. Later, his body was taken to his ancestral home in Noagaon village of Sreemangal, where his last rites were performed.

Deb's life remains one of the most remarkable stories of personal transformation in Bangladesh's conservation history. Having spent his early years as a hunter, he later abandoned that path and dedicated himself to the rescue, treatment, rehabilitation, and protection of wildlife.

Born in Noagaon village of Sreemangal, Deb began caring for injured and vulnerable wild animals shortly after Bangladesh's independence. His efforts eventually led to the establishment of the Bangladesh Wildlife Service Foundation, which has grown into one of the country's most recognised wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centres.

Over several decades, the foundation provided shelter and medical care to countless rescued animals. Many of them were later released back into their natural habitats after recovery. The centre became known for caring for a wide range of species, including fishing cats, hoolock gibbons, pangolins, civets, pythons, hornbills, monkeys, reptiles, and other threatened wildlife.

Beyond animal rescue, Deb played an active role in raising public awareness about biodiversity conservation, environmental protection, tree plantation initiatives, and the prevention of wildlife trafficking and illegal hunting.

His death has been widely mourned by conservation groups, environmental activists, journalists, and local community leaders. Lawmaker for Moulvibazar-4 (Sreemangal-Kamalganj) constituency, Md Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury, expressed deep condolences, describing Deb's contributions to wildlife conservation as invaluable.

Sreemangal Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Ziaur Rahman and representatives of various social, cultural, and environmental organisations also paid tribute to the veteran conservationist.

With the passing of Sitesh Ranjan Deb, Bangladesh has lost one of its most dedicated advocates for wildlife protection. However, conservationists believe that the institution he built and the legacy he leaves behind will continue to inspire future generations in safeguarding the country's rich biodiversity.