In Memory Of Bangladesh’s Greatest Tiger Hunter: Pachabdi Gazi (1924 - 1997)

Receiving The “ Savior Of The Sundarbans “ Award

And thus began the career of Pachabdi Gazi as a Forest Department Ranger and a government appointed professional Shikari in the Sundarban mangrove forests of East Pakistan . He was now issued a .303 British by the Sundarban Forest Department ; a standard department issue Lee Enfield rifle with the full military stock and iron sights . Along with these rifles , the Forest Department Officials were also issued large caches of .303 British ammunition. Aside from the 174 grain standard issue military ball cartridges ( with the pointed spitzer full metal jacket bullets ) , the Rangers were also issued large caches of 215 grain soft nose ICI Kynoch sporting cartridges .
While a .303 British is still far from ideal for tackling 225 kilogram man eating Royal Bengal Tigers , the Rifle was a devastating weapon in Pachabdi’s hands . At any rate , it was a much better weapon than the 10 bore double barrel shotgun ( loaded with 0 buck cartridges) , which he had to previously make do with .

From 1948 to 1970 , Pachabdi Gazi had become the pride of East Pakistan whenever man eating Royal Bengal Tigers had to be contended with , in the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans. The Sundarbans were a place which every mother in East Pakistan would tell horror stories about , to their children... in order to make them go to sleep faster or study properly at school ( among other things ) . Mothers would frighten their children with threats like these :
“ If you fail your class test at school , your father and I shall leave you in the Sundarbans “ .
Or
“ If you do not help out with the work around the house, then your father and I shall banish you into the Sundarbans “ .

The basis of these horror stories were not even remotely unfounded. If you happened to get lost in the Sundarban mangrove forests , you had an extremely high probability of :
A) Getting bitten by a King Cobra snake
B) Getting drowned and eaten by a crocodile
C) Getting gored by the tusks of a wild boar
D) Getting robbed and killed by dacoits

However , all of these ( highly probable ) dangers completely paled in comparison to the No. 1 danger in the Sundarban mangrove forests . The most likely and the most lethal of dangers : Getting mangled to death by a Royal Bengal Tiger . This is no exaggeration either . The number of Royal Bengal Tigers lurking about in the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans at that time , could easily exceed the number of feral hogs which have become an invasive species in the USA . And the only thing worse than Royal Bengal Tigers , were man eating Royal Bengal Tigers .
Unfortunately, virtually all the Royal Bengal Tigers living in the Sundarbans inherently had ( and still have ) an insatiable appetite for human flesh .

What most sane people would consider to be a horror house , Pachabdi Gazi considered his home . He knew every corner of the Sundarban mangrove forests , like the back of his hand . With his .303 British , he harvested Chital Deer for the larder .
With his 10 Bore shotgun , he conducted all of his wing shooting for the larder .
His favorite dish to eat was “ Chitra Gurda Kebab “ - A flame grilled spicy kebab made from the kidneys of Chital Deer and during his free time , he often served as a cook in the mess hall canteen of the Sundarban Forest Department Rangers .
He also shot several wild boars with his .303 British , in order to provide fresh pork for his non Muslim colleagues and for the Garo and Chakma tribal people under the employment of the Forest Department Rangers . During driven hunts for Chital Deer or wild boars , Pachabdi would use his 10 Bore shotgun (loaded with 0 buck cartridges ) as the 16 pellets of 0 buck would allow for a larger margin of error on a moving beast .
Everyone knew Pachabdi as a simple minded , quiet and polite gentleman who always carried out his orders without question or hesitation . This earned him a great deal of respect from everyone around him . He had neither a single foe , nor a rival in his entire life . Everyone loved Pachabdi.

Pachabdi ( like many sensible Shikaris ) never relied upon gun bearers to carry his firearms for him , because he never trusted them to stay by his side during a time of emergency . However , unlike many Shikaris who carry their own weapon and make a gun bearer carry an extra weapon as a precautionary measure, Pachabdi took things even one step further . When out hunting , Pachabdi would carry his .303 British in hands and his 10 Bore shotgun slung over his left shoulder . In each breast pocket of his Khaki Bush Shirt , he would keep an extra Lee Enfield magazine ( fully loaded with ten 215 grain ICI Kynoch soft nose cartridges) . Slung around his waist would be a leather bandolier containing two dozen 10 Bore shotgun cartridges. This over cautious setup greatly benefitted Pachabdi on more than one occasion.

In 1950 for instance, Pachabdi was out on a driven hunt for wild boars with his Garo trackers ( who were acting as his beaters ) . When the beaters had succeeded in driving a particularly large 135 kilogram wild boar towards Pachabdi, he fired a 0 buck cartridge from the left barrel of his 10 Bore shotgun at the animal at a range of only ten paces . The 16 pellets of 0 buck struck the beast , right between the two shoulder blades and the animal went down . However, dead it was not . In a split second , the wild boar was back on it’s feet once again and had charged deliberately towards Pachabdi , in an attempt to impale him with it’s tusks . Acting quickly , Pachabdi quickly fired his right barrel at the wild boar’s head at a mere distance of five paces .The 16 pellets of 0 buck struck the beast , right in the head and it dropped onto the green forest floor a second time . Only to get up once again and this time , the wild boar ( blinded by the 0 buckshot pellets ) was desperately trying to flee from Pachabdi’s direction . Determined not to let his quarry escape wounded by any means necessary , Pachabdi hurriedly unslung his issued .303 British from his back and snapped up the rifle to his shoulder . With one well aimed shot placed behind the wild boar’s shoulder , Pachabdi had finally put that wild boar down for good ; having selected it’s heart as a target.

At the time , the only commercially available ammunition imported into the firearms shops of East Pakistan , were 12 Bore shotgun cartridges and .22 Long Rifle cartridges. However , since Pachabdi was an asset to the government of East Pakistan , TCP ( Trading Corporation Pakistan) would import consignments of 10 Bore 27/8 inch Remington shotgun cartridges for Pachabdi’s personal use , and the government would pay for Pachabdi’s ammunition . However , even the government became powerless when Remington ceased to manufacture 10 Bore 2 7/8 inch cartridges. Of course , necessity is the mother of invention and Pachabdi began to get innovative in his means of procuring cartridges for his 10 Bore shotgun .

He asked TCP to commence importing 10 Bore 3 1/2 inch shotgun cartridges for him . These , he would carefully cut down to 2 7/8 inch length . Because 10 Bore buckshot cartridges were no longer available , Pachabdi devised an unique method to mould his own 0 buck pellets . He would take out the birdshot pellets from the 10 Bore cartridges and melt them in a cauldron. Then , he would take the branch of a Papaya tree ( which is hollow ) and pour the molten lead through it , before cutting the molten lead to pieces by using his Sheffield Army clasp knife . By using asbestos gloves , he rolled each of the molten lead pieces into a roughly 0 buck sized lead pellet . After they cooled , Pachabdi would load 16 0 buck pellets into each of his homemade 10 Bore cartridges . A tedious and time consuming process , it was. However , Pachabdi always kept his ordinance in tip top order .

When ICI Kynoch ceased manufacturing centre fire cartridges in 1963 , the Forest Department Rangers were suddenly devoid of their 215 grain soft nose cartridges for the standard issue .303 British . They were now issued Remington 215 grain soft nose cartridges . Alternatively , the Forest Department Rangers would also grind off the tips of 174 grain .303 British Military Ball full metal jacket spitzer tip cartridges , in order to make improvised soft point cartridges . These , they would make use of , on the lesser beasts such as wild boars.

Pachabdi was a often hired to guide foreign dignitaries who wanted to hunt wild boars or Chital Deer in the Sundarban mangrove forests ; appointed directly by the President of Pakistan , Ayub Khan to protect the dignitaries . For these purposes , Pachabdi was taught how to speak English passably . He was a quick learner and personally guided many foreign dignitaries on Shikars to the Sundarbans , including King Mohindra of Nepal , and Pakistani President Ayub Khan , himself . No one ever had anything to say about Pachabdi , except only good things .

In 1966 , Pachabdi was personally appointed by President Ayub Khan to dispose of a man eating fully grown male Royal Bengal Tiger , known as the , “ Terror Of Aatharobeki” . This fiend was a 226 Kilogram man eater who was responsible for the deaths of 29 locals living in the villages around the Sundarbans, along with a foreign dignitary .
For many days, there were no new reports of the fiend , until one day it claimed yet another victim. A local woman of Garo ancestry . This time , Pachabdi Gazi was nearby . Immediately after coming upon the “ Scene Of The Crime “ , Pachabdi and his two Garo trackers resolved to follow the fresh tracks of the man eater and put it down , once and for all .
They followed the tracks of the fiend for hours , with Pachabdi imitating Royal Bengal Tiger roars , several times along the way. This unconventional practice proved to be highly successful, yet again . The man eater let off a responsive roar and this allowed Pachabdi and his two trackers to pinpoint the general direction of the man eater .

After half an hour of stalking , the three weary men were finally able to catch sight of the fiend . Every time the man eater raised it’s head in order to roar , Pachabdi and his two trackers lay down on the ground in order to escape detection . By repeating this process , they slowly began to close in on the fiend . At a distance of 30 feet , Pachabdi signaled one of his two trackers to turn on the two cell torchlight and shine the beam at the man eater’s head . As the tracker obediently did as he was told , the startled fiend turned to look at the source of the light. Pachabdi certainly wasted no time. His .303 British was already raised to his shoulder and trained on the Royal Bengal Tiger’s head . He fired a single 215 grain soft nose cartridge at the fiend ; right between the two eyes . This immediately put an end to the “ Terror Of Aatharobeki “.
It had a snout to tail measurement of a most imposing 12 feet and weighed 226 kilograms .

It was the slaying of the “ Terror Of Aatharobeki “ which finally led Pachabdi to receive national recognition in East Pakistan . As a reward for his extreme valor , President Ayub Khan personally awarded Pachabdi with the “ Sanad E Khidmat “ award ; an award given only to those who risk their lives on a daily basis for the security of the nation. Pachabdi had become a national hero .

On 26th March of 1971 , the Bangladeshi War Of Independence had broken out and the next nine months were the darkest in East Pakistani history . The people of East Pakistan were fighting to become a new , independent country - Bangladesh .
It was during the War , that I first got introduced to Mr. Pachabdi Gazi by my commanding officer , Major Poton Khan . The Sundarban mangrove forests was a traveling route frequently used by the guerilla forces and the Freedom Fighters of Bangladesh. However , it was also an extremely dangerous place . Dozens of our Freedom Fighters were mangled to death by man eating Royal Bengal Tigers in the Sundarban mangrove forests .
It was here that Pachabdi’s skills became indispensable once again . The Bangladesh Mukti Bahini ( Freedom Fighters Battalion ) specifically enlisted Pachabdi’s assistance to protect all of the Freedom Fighters who were traveling through the Sundarban mangrove forests , from Royal Bengal Tigers . For Pachabdi , this was a matter of child’s play. Between April 5th to December 16th , Pachabdi singlehandedly put down no less than 24 man eating Royal Bengal Tigers , in order to save the lives of the Bangladeshi Freedom Fighters . Major Poton Khan ( being a retired professional Shikari , himself ) made great friends with Pachabdi during the War .
The Major , himself used his own military issued .303 British to successfully put down two man eating Royal Bengal Tigers with a single frontal brain shot ( for each fiend ) in July of 1971 , when he was temporarily posted in the Sundarbans ... in order to protect the lives of the men under his command . He used 215 grain Remington soft nose cartridges which were provided to him by Pachabdi , for the purposes of putting down any Royal Bengal Tigers which might be attempting to make a meal out of the Major’s men . After West Pakistan had signed an armistice on December 16th of 1971 , East Pakistan had formally become Bangladesh.
As a reward for his unending gallantry by constantly protecting the Freedom Fighters of Bangladesh from Royal Bengal Tigers in the Sundarbans throughout the War , Pachabdi was not only appointed as a Forest Department Ranger by the newly formed Sundarban Forest Department Of Bangladesh ... but he had also received the prestigious “ Savior Of The Sundarbans “ award by the Sundarban Forest Department. Now 46 years of age , Pachabdi’s new adventures as a Forest Department Ranger appointed by the Sundarban Forest Department Of Bangladesh had only just begun .
37E47002-7983-4576-8A8B-B5418F87B0CB.png

Pachabdi ( Centre ) chatting with his younger brother , Hashem ( Left ) and Major Poton Khan ( Right ) in the Sundarban mangrove forests in July , 1971. Pachabdi’s 10 Bore Remington Model 1889 shotgun can be seen , tightly clutched in his hands .
EA027B29-4259-42EB-808F-614A4A6E6D5B.png

Forest Department Ranger , Pachabdi Gazi ( right ) Of the ( Then ) Newly Sundarban Forest Department Of Bangladesh , ID Number BD N 3886 , clutching his department issued .303 British in January , 1972 .
 
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Receiving The “ Savior Of The Sundarbans “ Award

And thus began the career of Pachabdi Gazi as a Forest Department Ranger and a government appointed professional Shikari in the Sundarban mangrove forests of East Pakistan . He was now issued a .303 British by the Sundarban Forest Department ; a standard department issue Lee Enfield rifle with the full military stock and iron sights . Along with these rifles , the Forest Department Officials were also issued large caches of .303 British ammunition. Aside from the 174 grain standard issue military ball cartridges ( with the pointed spitzer full metal jacket bullets ) , the Rangers were also issued large caches of 215 grain soft nose ICI Kynoch sporting cartridges .
While a .303 British is still far from ideal for tackling 225 kilogram man eating Royal Bengal Tigers , the Rifle was a devastating weapon in Pachabdi’s hands . At any rate , it was a much better weapon than the 10 bore double barrel shotgun ( loaded with 0 buck cartridges) , which he had to previously make do with .

From 1948 to 1970 , Pachabdi Gazi had become the pride of East Pakistan whenever man eating Royal Bengal Tigers had to be contended with , in the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans. The Sundarbans were a place which every mother in East Pakistan would tell horror stories about , to their children... in order to make them go to sleep faster or study properly at school ( among other things ) . Mothers would frighten their children with threats like these :
“ If you fail your class test at school , your father and I shall leave you in the Sundarbans “ .
Or
“ If you do not help out with the work around the house, then your father and I shall banish you into the Sundarbans “ .

The basis of these horror stories were not even remotely unfounded. If you happened to get lost in the Sundarban mangrove forests , you had an extremely high probability of :
A) Getting bitten by a King Cobra snake
B) Getting drowned and eaten by a crocodile
C) Getting gored by the tusks of a wild boar
D) Getting robbed and killed by dacoits

However , all of these ( highly probable ) dangers completely paled in comparison to the No. 1 danger in the Sundarban mangrove forests . The most likely and the most lethal of dangers : Getting mangled to death by a Royal Bengal Tiger . This is no exaggeration either . The number of Royal Bengal Tigers lurking about in the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans at that time , could easily exceed the number of feral hogs which have become an invasive species in the USA . And the only thing worse than Royal Bengal Tigers , were man eating Royal Bengal Tigers .
Unfortunately, virtually all the Royal Bengal Tigers living in the Sundarbans inherently had ( and still have ) an insatiable appetite for human flesh .

What most sane people would consider to be a horror house , Pachabdi Gazi considered his home . He knew every corner of the Sundarban mangrove forests , like the back of his hand . With his .303 British , he harvested Chital Deer for the larder .
With his 10 Bore shotgun , he conducted all of his wing shooting for the larder .
His favorite dish to eat was “ Chitra Gurda Kebab “ - A flame grilled spicy kebab made from the kidneys of Chital Deer and during his free time , he often served as a cook in the mess hall canteen of the Sundarban Forest Department Rangers .
He also shot several wild boars with his .303 British , in order to provide fresh pork for his non Muslim colleagues and for the Garo and Chakma tribal people under the employment of the Forest Department Rangers . During driven hunts for Chital Deer or wild boars , Pachabdi would use his 10 Bore shotgun (loaded with 0 buck cartridges ) as the 16 pellets of 0 buck would allow for a larger margin of error on a moving beast .
Everyone knew Pachabdi as a simple minded , quiet and polite gentleman who always carried out his orders without question or hesitation . This earned him a great deal of respect from everyone around him . He had neither a single foe , nor a rival in his entire life . Everyone loved Pachabdi.

Pachabdi ( like many sensible Shikaris ) never relied upon gun bearers to carry his firearms for him , because he never trusted them to stay by his side during a time of emergency . However , unlike many Shikaris who carry their own weapon and make a gun bearer carry an extra weapon as a precautionary measure, Pachabdi took things even one step further . When out hunting , Pachabdi would carry his .303 British in hands and his 10 Bore shotgun slung over his left shoulder . In each breast pocket of his Khaki Bush Shirt , he would keep an extra Lee Enfield magazine ( fully loaded with ten 215 grain ICI Kynoch soft nose cartridges) . Slung around his waist would be a leather bandolier containing two dozen 10 Bore shotgun cartridges. This over cautious setup greatly benefitted Pachabdi on more than one occasion.

In 1950 for instance, Pachabdi was out on a driven hunt for wild boars with his Garo trackers ( who were acting as his beaters ) . When the beaters had succeeded in driving a particularly large 135 kilogram wild boar towards Pachabdi, he fired a 0 buck cartridge from the left barrel of his 10 Bore shotgun at the animal at a range of only ten paces . The 16 pellets of 0 buck struck the beast , right between the two shoulder blades and the animal went down . However, dead it was not . In a split second , the wild boar was back on it’s feet once again and had charged deliberately towards Pachabdi , in an attempt to impale him with it’s tusks . Acting quickly , Pachabdi quickly fired his right barrel at the wild boar’s head at a mere distance of five paces .The 16 pellets of 0 buck struck the beast , right in the head and it dropped onto the green forest floor a second time . Only to get up once again and this time , the wild boar ( blinded by the 0 buckshot pellets ) was desperately trying to flee from Pachabdi’s direction . Determined not to let his quarry escape wounded by any means necessary , Pachabdi hurriedly unslung his issued .303 British from his back and snapped up the rifle to his shoulder . With one well aimed shot placed behind the wild boar’s shoulder , Pachabdi had finally put that wild boar down for good ; having selected it’s heart as a target.

At the time , the only commercially available ammunition imported into the firearms shops of East Pakistan , were 12 Bore shotgun cartridges and .22 Long Rifle cartridges. However , since Pachabdi was an asset to the government of East Pakistan , TCP ( Trading Corporation Pakistan) would import consignments of 10 Bore 27/8 inch Remington shotgun cartridges for Pachabdi’s personal use , and the government would pay for Pachabdi’s ammunition . However , even the government became powerless when Remington ceased to manufacture 10 Bore 2 7/8 inch cartridges. Of course , necessity is the mother of invention and Pachabdi began to get innovative in his means of procuring cartridges for his 10 Bore shotgun .

He asked TCP to commence importing 10 Bore 3 1/2 inch shotgun cartridges for him . These , he would carefully cut down to 2 7/8 inch length . Because 10 Bore buckshot cartridges were no longer available , Pachabdi devised an unique method to mould his own 0 buck pellets . He would take out the birdshot pellets from the 10 Bore cartridges and melt them in a cauldron. Then , he would take the branch of a Papaya tree ( which is hollow ) and pour the molten lead through it , before cutting the molten lead to pieces by using his Sheffield Army clasp knife . By using asbestos gloves , he rolled each of the molten lead pieces into a roughly 0 buck sized lead pellet . After they cooled , Pachabdi would load 16 0 buck pellets into each of his homemade 10 Bore cartridges . A tedious and time consuming process , it was. However , Pachabdi always kept his ordinance in tip top order .

When ICI Kynoch ceased manufacturing centre fire cartridges in 1963 , the Forest Department Rangers were suddenly devoid of their 215 grain soft nose cartridges for the standard issue .303 British . They were now issued Remington 215 grain soft nose cartridges . Alternatively , the Forest Department Rangers would also grind off the tips of 174 grain .303 British Military Ball full metal jacket spitzer tip cartridges , in order to make improvised soft point cartridges . These , they would make use of , on the lesser beasts such as wild boars.

Pachabdi was a often hired to guide foreign dignitaries who wanted to hunt wild boars or Chital Deer in the Sundarban mangrove forests ; appointed directly by the President of Pakistan , Ayub Khan to protect the dignitaries . For these purposes , Pachabdi was taught how to speak English passably . He was a quick learner and personally guided many foreign dignitaries on Shikars to the Sundarbans , including King Mohindra of Nepal , and Pakistani President Ayub Khan , himself . No one ever had anything to say about Pachabdi , except only good things .

In 1966 , Pachabdi was personally appointed by President Ayub Khan to dispose of a man eating fully grown male Royal Bengal Tiger , known as the , “ Terror Of Aatharobeki” . This fiend was a 226 Kilogram man eater who was responsible for the deaths of 29 locals living in the villages around the Sundarbans, along with a foreign dignitary .
For many days, there were no new reports of the fiend , until one day it claimed yet another victim. A local woman of Garo ancestry . This time , Pachabdi Gazi was nearby . Immediately after coming upon the “ Scene Of The Crime “ , Pachabdi and his two Garo trackers resolved to follow the fresh tracks of the man eater and put it down , once and for all .
They followed the tracks of the fiend for hours , with Pachabdi imitating Royal Bengal Tiger roars , several times along the way. This unconventional practice proved to be highly successful, yet again . The man eater let off a responsive roar and this allowed Pachabdi and his two trackers to pinpoint the general direction of the man eater .

After half an hour of stalking , the three weary men were finally able to catch sight of the fiend . Every time the man eater raised it’s head in order to roar , Pachabdi and his two trackers lay down on the ground in order to escape detection . By repeating this process , they slowly began to close in on the fiend . At a distance of 30 feet , Pachabdi signaled one of his two trackers to turn on the two cell torchlight and shine the beam at the man eater’s head . As the tracker obediently did as he was told , the startled fiend turned to look at the source of the light. Pachabdi certainly wasted no time. His .303 British was already raised to his shoulder and trained on the Royal Bengal Tiger’s head . He fired a single 215 grain soft nose cartridge at the fiend ; right between the two eyes . This immediately put an end to the “ Terror Of Aatharobeki “.
It had a snout to tail measurement of a most imposing 12 feet and weighed 226 kilograms .

It was the slaying of the “ Terror Of Aatharobeki “ which finally led Pachabdi to receive national recognition in East Pakistan . As a reward for his extreme valor , President Ayub Khan personally awarded Pachabdi with the “ Sanad E Khidmat “ award ; an award given only to those who risk their lives on a daily basis for the security of the nation. Pachabdi had become a national hero .

On 26th March of 1971 , the Bangladeshi War Of Independence had broken out and the next nine months were the darkest in East Pakistani history . The people of East Pakistan were fighting to become a new , independent country - Bangladesh .
It was during the War , that I first got introduced to Mr. Pachabdi Gazi by my commanding officer , Major Poton Khan . The Sundarban mangrove forests was a traveling route frequently used by the guerilla forces and the Freedom Fighters of Bangladesh. However , it was also an extremely dangerous place . Dozens of our Freedom Fighters were mangled to death by man eating Royal Bengal Tigers in the Sundarban mangrove forests .
It was here that Pachabdi’s skills became indispensable once again . The Bangladesh Mukti Bahini ( Freedom Fighters Battalion ) specifically enlisted Pachabdi’s assistance to protect all of the Freedom Fighters who were traveling through the Sundarban mangrove forests , from Royal Bengal Tigers . For Pachabdi , this was a matter of child’s play. Between April 5th to December 16th , Pachabdi singlehandedly put down no less than 24 man eating Royal Bengal Tigers , in order to save the lives of the Bangladeshi Freedom Fighters . Major Poton Khan ( being a retired professional Shikari , himself ) made great friends with Pachabdi during the War .
The Major , himself used his own military issued .303 British to successfully put down two man eating Royal Bengal Tigers with a single frontal brain shot ( for each fiend ) in July of 1971 , when he was temporarily posted in the Sundarbans ... in order to protect the lives of the men under his command . He used 215 grain Remington soft nose cartridges which were provided to him by Pachabdi , for the purposes of putting down any Royal Bengal Tigers which might be attempting to make a meal out of the Major’s men . After West Pakistan had signed an armistice on December 16th of 1971 , East Pakistan had formally become Bangladesh.
As a reward for his unending gallantry by constantly protecting the Freedom Fighters of Bangladesh from Royal Bengal Tigers in the Sundarbans throughout the War , Pachabdi was not only appointed as a Forest Department Ranger by the newly formed Sundarban Forest Department Of Bangladesh ... but he had also received the prestigious “ Savior Of The Sundarbans “ award by the Sundarban Forest Department. Now 46 years of age , Pachabdi’s new adventures as a Forest Department Ranger appointed by the Sundarban Forest Department Of Bangladesh had only just begun .
View attachment 342117
Pachabdi ( Centre ) chatting with his younger brother , Hashem ( Left ) and Major Poton Khan ( Right ) in the Sundarban mangrove forests in July , 1971. Pachabdi’s 10 Bore Remington Model 1889 shotgun can be seen , tightly clutched in his hands .
View attachment 342116
Forest Department Ranger , Pachabdi Gazi ( right ) Of the ( Then ) Newly Sundarban Forest Department Of Bangladesh , ID Number BD N 3886 , clutching his department issued .303 British in January , 1972 .
Friend Panther Shooter
Hurry up and post more my friend. The suspense is hard to take.
Keep safe and well my friend, Bob
 
The Final Man Eater , Later Life & Death

From 1972 onwards , Pachabdi continued to faithfully serve the Sundarban Forest Department Of Bangladesh as a hard working and loyal Forest Department Ranger .
The post 1971 years in the Sundarban mangrove forests had proven to be the most busy years of Pachabdi’s life . During the Bangladesh War Of Independence In 1971 , thousands of human corpses had been dumped into the Padma , Meghna and Jamuna rivers . These virtually always ended up getting washed onto the river banks of the Sundarban mangrove forests , where they were “ sampled “ by the Royal Bengal Tigers inhabiting the forests . As previously established repeatedly in the marvelous articles on AH forums written by Major Poton Khan and Sgt Kawshik Rahman , once a Royal Bengal Tiger or a leopard gets the taste of human blood or flesh , they will develop an insatiable appetite for it. Long story short- They will become man eaters . Thus, in the years after 1971 , the number of man eating Royal Bengal Tigers menacing the Khulna Division of Bangladesh had become rancid and outright nightmarish. Fortunately, Pachabdi Gazi was at it , once again . The Forest Department declared those man eaters to be fiends which had to be destroyed , and Pachabdi was more than glad to oblige. Using his issued .303 British and his 10 Bore shotgun ( depending upon the particular set of circumstances , which he found himself in ) , Pachabdi singlehandedly took down the bulk of the man eating Royal Bengal Tigers in the Sundarban mangrove forests without getting so much as a scratch on him .

Major Poton Khan remained close friends with Pachabdi and always made it a point to visit Pachabdi in the Sundarbans at least twice a month .From 1975 onwards , I ( having moved to Bangladesh , as well by then ) always made it a point to visit Pachabdi in the Sundarbans at least twice a month , as well . In 1979 , Major Khan gifted Pachabdi a beautiful small game rifle - a brand new .22 Long Rifle , which was a bolt action made by BRNO ( The Czech company) . Pachabdi loved his new gift with a passion , and used it to hunt countless doves , pigeons and hares for the larder in the Sundarbans . I have even personally seen him use that diminutive little .22 Long Rifle , loaded with Eley Rifle Club 40 grain solid cartridges to bring down a 136 kilogram wild boar with a side brain shot once , having selected the region right behind one of the ears as a target .

In 1980 , we all encouraged Pachabdi to put his spell binding adventures on paper. Despite his initial reservations ( worrying about how the anti hunting crowd would label him as a “sadistic sociopath” as they are often wont to do ) , Pachabdi finally agreed to do so . He released his autobiography , “ The Man Eaters Of The Sundarbans “ towards the beginning of 1981 . This book is an absolute must have , in the shelves of every member of the Bangladeshi Shikar community

Pachabdi killed his 61st and final man eating Royal Bengal Tiger on May 12th of 1997 . It was a 224 kilogram male Royal Bengal Tiger with a snout to tail length of 12 feet , which had killed 6 local villagers in the areas around the Sundarban mangrove forests and had earned the nickname of , “ The Terror Of Talpatti “ . After stalking the fiend for 13 hours with the aid of his Garo trackers , Pachabdi finally put it down with a single 215 grain Remington soft nose cartridge fired from his .303 British , at 4:00 AM in the morning . Pachabdi was 73 years of age , at the time . Despite most Forest Department Rangers retiring at the age of 50 ( and getting a full pension ) , Pachabdi volunteered to live out his days in the Sundarban mangrove forests, doing what he did best - hunting man eating Royal Bengal Tigers .


We all heartily congratulated our friend for a job well done , and we joked that in a few years time Pachabdi would take down his 100th man eating Royal Bengal Tiger .
However, fate has a way of not letting us choose our own endings . On October 12th of 1997 , Pachabdi Gazi went to sleep in the bed of his village house in Gabura . He never woke up , again . And thus , ended not only the life of a great man ... but also an era rivaled by no other . Pachabdi Gazi had begun his life as a Shikari in British India , he spent many years of his life as a Shikari in East Pakistan , and he ended his life as a Shikari in Bangladesh. All the while , living in the same place for his entire life , while enjoying the same occupation for his entire life.


While death can never be a happy occurrence ( especially the death of a friend ) and should always be avoided for as long as possible , I personally consider there to be one small silver lining in Pachabdi’s death . Unlike his father and grandfather ( who were both mangled to death by man eating Royal Bengal Tigers ) , Pachabdi passed away peacefully in his sleep , due to natural causes. In the warmth of his bed . He did not suffer at all . He was never dependent upon another person in his entire life . He died completely untouched by the 61 man eating Royal Bengal Tigers which he had to contend with , in his life . Unlike his brother Hashem ( who had his right hand bitten clean off by a man eating Royal Bengal Tiger ) , Pachabdi died completely unscathed.

Pachabdi’s department issued .303 British can be seen hanging on one of the walls of the head office of the Sundarban Forest Department . His personally owned 10 Bore Remington Model 1889 shotgun and .22 Long Rifle remain in the possession of his family members . Momentos of the existence of a great man .

Throughout his entire life , Pachabdi was a quiet and mild mannered gentleman. Quite the introvert . He once told me that he personally considered the forests to be a far safer place , than the cities . He told me that he would much rather face a man eating Royal Bengal Tiger every day of the week , than have to put up with politicians ( who he believed were far more dangerous , than any other creature in existence ) . His entire life was spent , living in the Sundarban mangrove forests and he lived every single day of his life without any regrets . On his own terms.

Pachabdi Gazi was a meek , mild mannered man , who looked completely unassuming and harmless to the naked eye of strangers . However , he was also the greatest Shikari of Royal Bengal Tigers in Bangladesh to have ever lived . He is , was and always shall remain a national hero .

I would like to dedicate this article to all of the brave men and women of our Bangladesh Forest Department, who spend days after days on end ( even today ) having to contend with man eating Royal Bengal Tigers , crocodiles , dacoits , Indian poachers and all sorts of other dangers and natural calamities in the Sundarban mangrove forests , just to protect the locals residing in the neighboring villages , as well as conserve our wildlife, simultaneously.
I sincerely hope that I have been able to do justice to my dear friend , the late Pachabdi Gazi , through my writing . If you all have enjoyed this story , then next time I shall be writing a story about one of the greatest LIVING hunters of man eating Royal Bengal Tigers in Bangladesh , who is still very much active ( and hopefully , shall remain to be so for countless years to come ) . A gentleman who actually waded into the water of a stream once , in pursuit of a wounded man eating Royal Bengal Tiger .

THE END
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“ The Man Eaters Of The Sundarbans “ by Pachabdi Gazi.

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Pachabdi Gazi ( Centre ) , when he came to the head office collect his pension in 1997 .
 
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Thank you for an eloquently written story. It was both happy and sad at the same time. I enjoyed learning about past hunters and their methods.
 
Wonderful story. What a perfect life he led doing what he loved.
 
It takes nerves of steel to hunt tigers in this fashion..in dense mangrove sump with inferior weapons (at least by today´s standard..)..

I take my hat off to this man..
 
Fantastic story, and life. Thank you sir, for sharing this!
I went to search for information of Sundarban forest on internet, it looks as a true primal unspoiled jungle... amazing place.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundarbans

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from wikipedia
Several predators dwell in the labyrinth of channels, branches and roots that poke up into the air. This is the only mangrove ecoregion that harbours the Indo-Pacific region's largest terrestrial predator, the Bengal tiger. Unlike in other habitats, tigers live here and swim among the mangrove islands, where they hunt scarce prey such as the chital deer (Axis axis), Indian muntjacs (Muntiacus muntjak), wild boar (Sus scrofa), and rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta). It is estimated that there are now 180 Bengal tigers[30] and about 30,000 spotted deer in the area. The tigers regularly attack and kill humans who venture into the forest, human deaths ranging from 30–100 per year.[40]
 

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The Final Man Eater , Later Life & Death

From 1972 onwards , Pachabdi continued to faithfully serve the Sundarban Forest Department Of Bangladesh as a hard working and loyal Forest Department Ranger .
The post 1971 years in the Sundarban mangrove forests had proven to be the most busy years of Pachabdi’s life . During the Bangladesh War Of Independence In 1971 , thousands of human corpses had been dumped into the Padma , Meghna and Jamuna rivers . These virtually always ended up getting washed onto the river banks of the Sundarban mangrove forests , where they were “ sampled “ by the Royal Bengal Tigers inhabiting the forests . As previously established repeatedly in the marvelous articles on AH forums written by Major Poton Khan and Sgt Kawshik Rahman , once a Royal Bengal Tiger or a leopard gets the taste of human blood or flesh , they will develop an insatiable appetite for it. Long story short- They will become man eaters . Thus, in the years after 1971 , the number of man eating Royal Bengal Tigers menacing the Khulna Division of Bangladesh had become rancid and outright nightmarish. Fortunately, Pachabdi Gazi was at it , once again . The Forest Department declared those man eaters to be fiends which had to be destroyed , and Pachabdi was more than glad to oblige. Using his issued .303 British and his 10 Bore shotgun ( depending upon the particular set of circumstances , which he found himself in ) , Pachabdi singlehandedly took down the bulk of the man eating Royal Bengal Tigers in the Sundarban mangrove forests without getting so much as a scratch on him .

Major Poton Khan remained close friends with Pachabdi and always made it a point to visit Pachabdi in the Sundarbans at least twice a month .From 1975 onwards , I ( having moved to Bangladesh , as well by then ) always made it a point to visit Pachabdi in the Sundarbans at least twice a month , as well . In 1979 , Major Khan gifted Pachabdi a beautiful small game rifle - a brand new .22 Long Rifle , which was a bolt action made by BRNO ( The Czech company) . Pachabdi loved his new gift with a passion , and used it to hunt countless doves , pigeons and hares for the larder in the Sundarbans . I have even personally seen him use that diminutive little .22 Long Rifle , loaded with Eley Rifle Club 40 grain solid cartridges to bring down a 136 kilogram wild boar with a side brain shot once , having selected the region right behind one of the ears as a target .

In 1980 , we all encouraged Pachabdi to put his spell binding adventures on paper. Despite his initial reservations ( worrying about how the anti hunting crowd would label him as a “sadistic sociopath” as they are often wont to do ) , Pachabdi finally agreed to do so . He released his autobiography , “ The Man Eaters Of The Sundarbans “ towards the beginning of 1981 . This book is an absolute must have , in the shelves of every member of the Bangladeshi Shikar community

Pachabdi killed his 61st and final man eating Royal Bengal Tiger on May 12th of 1997 . It was a 224 kilogram male Royal Bengal Tiger with a snout to tail length of 12 feet , which had killed 6 local villagers in the areas around the Sundarban mangrove forests and had earned the nickname of , “ The Terror Of Talpatti “ . After stalking the fiend for 13 hours with the aid of his Garo trackers , Pachabdi finally put it down with a single 215 grain Remington soft nose cartridge fired from his .303 British , at 4:00 AM in the morning . Pachabdi was 73 years of age , at the time . Despite most Forest Department Rangers retiring at the age of 50 ( and getting a full pension ) , Pachabdi volunteered to live out his days in the Sundarban mangrove forests, doing what he did best - hunting man eating Royal Bengal Tigers .


We all heartily congratulated our friend for a job well done , and we joked that in a few years time Pachabdi would take down his 100th man eating Royal Bengal Tiger .
However, fate has a way of not letting us choose our own endings . On October 12th of 1997 , Pachabdi Gazi went to sleep in the bed of his village house in Gabura . He never woke up , again . And thus , ended not only the life of a great man ... but also an era rivaled by no other . Pachabdi Gazi had begun his life as a Shikari in British India , he spent many years of his life as a Shikari in East Pakistan , and he ended his life as a Shikari in Bangladesh. All the while , living in the same place for his entire life , while enjoying the same occupation for his entire life.


While death can never be a happy occurrence ( especially the death of a friend ) and should always be avoided for as long as possible , I personally consider there to be one small silver lining in Pachabdi’s death . Unlike his father and grandfather ( who were both mangled to death by man eating Royal Bengal Tigers ) , Pachabdi passed away peacefully in his sleep , due to natural causes. In the warmth of his bed . He did not suffer at all . He was never dependent upon another person in his entire life . He died completely untouched by the 61 man eating Royal Bengal Tigers which he had to contend with , in his life . Unlike his brother Hashem ( who had his right hand bitten clean off by a man eating Royal Bengal Tiger ) , Pachabdi died completely unscathed.

Pachabdi’s department issued .303 British can be seen hanging on one of the walls of the head office of the Sundarban Forest Department . His personally owned 10 Bore Remington Model 1889 shotgun and .22 Long Rifle remain in the possession of his family members . Momentos of the existence of a great man .

Throughout his entire life , Pachabdi was a quiet and mild mannered gentleman. Quite the introvert . He once told me that he personally considered the forests to be a far safer place , than the cities . He told me that he would much rather face a man eating Royal Bengal Tiger every day of the week , than have to put up with politicians ( who he believed were far more dangerous , than any other creature in existence ) . His entire life was spent , living in the Sundarban mangrove forests and he lived every single day of his life without any regrets . On his own terms.

Pachabdi Gazi was a meek , mild mannered man , who looked completely unassuming and harmless to the naked eye of strangers . However , he was also the greatest Shikari of Royal Bengal Tigers in Bangladesh to have ever lived . He is , was and always shall remain a national hero .

I would like to dedicate this article to all of the brave men and women of our Bangladesh Forest Department, who spend days after days on end ( even today ) having to contend with man eating Royal Bengal Tigers , crocodiles , dacoits , Indian poachers and all sorts of other dangers and natural calamities in the Sundarban mangrove forests , just to protect the locals residing in the neighboring villages , as well as conserve our wildlife, simultaneously.
I sincerely hope that I have been able to do justice to my dear friend , the late Pachabdi Gazi , through my writing . If you all have enjoyed this story , then next time I shall be writing a story about one of the greatest LIVING hunters of man eating Royal Bengal Tigers in Bangladesh , who is still very much active ( and hopefully , shall remain to be so for countless years to come ) . A gentleman who actually waded into the water of a stream once , in pursuit of a wounded man eating Royal Bengal Tiger .

THE END
View attachment 342148
“ The Man Eaters Of The Sundarbans “ by Pachabdi Gazi.

View attachment 342146

Pachabdi Gazi ( Centre ) , when he came to the head office collect his pension in 1997 .
Friend Panther Shooter
Is the book available in English I would very much enjoy reading it.
Your friend lived a very exciting and full life. You are truly blessed by having known him.
You did great justice giving a brief insight into this humble man's life.
Did he have a wife or any children to share his wonderful life with. I agree I would rather face what is in the forest I know than any of the crap that we are forced to put up with in so called civilization. Civilization is not so civil any more.
Keep safe and well and keep writing my friend
Bob Nelson
 
Excellent biographical report of a fascinating Shikar!
The recoil of that 10 gage double must have been brutal! I got a headache every time I fired a 3 1/2” in mine. Gave up and sold it.
 
Panther Shooter, thank you for sharing both your knowledge of and personal friendship with Pachabdi Gazi. He certainly earned the accolades bestowed on him. For sure he was a HUNTER and "a man after our own heart."
 
He once told me that he personally considered the forests to be a far safer place , than the cities . He told me that he would much rather face a man eating Royal Bengal Tiger every day of the week , than have to put up with politicians ( who he believed were far more dangerous , than any other creature in existence ) . His entire life was spent , living in the Sundarban mangrove forests and he lived every single day of his life without any regrets . On his own terms.
No argument from me on this! One of life’s truths!
 
Well written sir. What a life he lived.... Many of us wish we had that opportunity. He must of had nerves of steel. Great tribute to your friend. I'm sure he would of approved....
Bruce
 
Thank you Panther Shooter for this beautiful story and a great tribute to a fellow shikari. He's probably hunting a tiger in the eternal hunting grounds right now, may he rest in peace.
 
This photograph makes me very sad .
I miss him very much .
Major , Sir
As do I . I really wish that he was amongst us all , today . If he were still alive , then Arman would never have to contend with all those man eating Royal Bengal Tigers by himself , today. Of course , Arman is no less competent than Pachabdi , himself . However , the poor fellow has his hands quite full at times with so many man eaters to put down , all by himself.
 
What a horrific way to begin a lifetime of hunting Bengal Tigers. But given the exploits of his father and grandfather one might say that Tiger hunting was in his DNA.
Shootist43
I could not agree more . Unlike his father and grandfather , Pachabdi is also the only first Shikari in his family to pass away due to completely natural causes .
 

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