DHAKA, Aug. 6 (Xinhuanet) -- Over 100 big size monkeys in Bangladesh's southwestern Kushtia have not taken food for the last several days as a mark of mourning the killing of one of their friends.

    A forest official in Kushtia when contacted by telephone Saturday said they (the monkeys) have been searching for their lost friend in the bank of the river Dhorai in groups. The incident of killing the monkey occurred on July 31.

    A press report said a young man Ujjal, 29, trapped a monkey in a cage on the plea to offering it banana and then beat and killed the monkey. Four other monkeys, who witnessed the killing, immediately protested it, breaking branches of trees and shouting loudly. Ujjal threw the body of the monkey in the river.

    The monkeys take shelter in the Hijla village of Khoksa sub-district of Kushtia every year with the arrival of monsoon and return to their homes after end of the monsoon, the report said.

    The police are hunting the killer Ujjal, but could not arrest him yet. Forest officer of Kushtia Towsiful Bari Khan told Xinhua Saturday he has sent a team to investigate the killing incident. After having the report of the investigation team, he will file a case against the killer youth.

    In Bangladesh there is a law against killing of wildlife with provision of maximum punishment of six years in prison and the lowest six months with fine. Enditem