Sundarban animals reclaim glory, but entry ban nears end

With a ban on the entry of fishermen, tourists and others in the Sundarban, the wild now roam free, reclaiming their past glory in the largest mangrove forest in the world. 

Since the three-month ban came into effect on 1 June, animals who usually hid in the depths of the forest are now seen at tourist centres and the banks of rivers and canals. The restrictions will come to an end on 31 August.

Zahirul Islam Jewel, station officer (SO) of Kalabagi Ecotourism Centre in the Sundarbans, said, "No one has been able to enter the Sundarbans for a long time. The animals usually shy away from the noise of people and boats. But now they are roaming freely."

Howladar Azad Kabir, the in-charge of Karamjal Wildlife and Breeding Centre said, "Due to the ongoing ban, there is no human footfall. Now it feels like Sundarbans is back to its original form." 

Divisional Forest Officer of Sundarban West Forest Division Abu Naser Mohsin Hossain said, "Most of the animals here breed during the monsoon season. So at this time, the ban decision was made by the Ministry of Forests. During this time, the forest department does not issue pass-permits to anyone to enter the Sundarbans."

According to sources of the forest department, currently 12,000 boats and trawlers have been given the board license certificate (BLC) for extracting resources from the Sundarbans. 

Through these boats, more than one lakh depend on the forests for its resources. Besides, more than two-and-a-half lakh tourists visit seven ecotourism centres of the Sundarbans every year.

Mahafuzur Rahman Mukul, the Khulna divisional coordinator of the Bangladesh Environmental Law Association (BELA), said, "On the one hand, the number of foresters is increasing every year in the Sundarbans, while on the other hand, forest resources are decreasing. The Sundarbans would have been more protected if a long-term master plan for forest protection had been created by providing alternative employment for foresters."

Executive Director of Sundarban Academy Professor Anwarul Qadir says, "The thought that revenue is coming from Sundarbans should be discarded. The forest should be allowed to remain as a forest without disturbance. Then there will be no damage to the ecosystem there.