Bangladesh says community participation, stronger wildlife enforcement and habitat restoration are helping tiger numbers recover while new measures aim to reduce conflict and protect the Sundarbans’ ecological balance.
Bangladesh’s Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Abdul Awal Mintoo said on Wednesday the government remains committed to conserving the Bengal tiger and its natural habitat in the Sundarbans, stressing that protecting the species is essential to preserving the world’s largest mangrove forest.
Speaking as chief guest at a discussion marking World Tiger Day 2026, Mintoo said this year’s theme was “Let’s all be aware, let’s conserve tigers.”
“The tiger is Bangladesh’s national animal and the natural guardian of the Sundarbans,” he said. “As a keystone species, it plays an important role in maintaining the forest’s food chain and ecological balance. Conserving tigers is not only about protecting a single animal. It is also linked to safeguarding the Sundarbans’ biodiversity, forest resources and its food and breeding systems.”
Mintoo said the government had recently formed a 10-member commission to protect wildlife habitats and reduce human-wildlife conflict.
He said the commission would work to increase the Bengal tiger population in the Sundarbans, recover illegally occupied forest land and raise awareness among communities living near the forest.
According to camera trapping surveys, the number of tigers in the Sundarbans increased from 106 in 2015 to 114 in 2018 and reached 125 in 2024, he said, attributing the gradual rise to government initiatives, the activities of the Forest Department and support from local communities.
Mintoo said Village Tiger Response Teams, community patrol groups and forest-dependent local communities were playing an important role in tiger conservation.
He also said the government was following a “zero tolerance” policy against the trafficking of tigers and tiger body parts. The Wildlife Crime Control Unit and other relevant agencies would be made more active, he added, noting that rewards of between 25,000 and 50,000 taka were available for information on tiger-related crimes.
Environment, Forest and Climate Change State Minister Sheikh Faridul Islam, speaking as special guest, said the tiger was a symbol of Bangladesh’s courage and heritage.
He said protected areas in the Sundarbans had been expanded to help conserve the species. Authorities had excavated 80 ponds to provide drinking water for tigers and built 20 mounds for resting, he added.
The state minister also said the government had taken various measures to protect biodiversity. Nylon fencing had been installed to separate human settlements from forest areas, reducing incidents of tigers entering villages.
Farhmida Khanam, acting secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said tigers played a vital role in regulating the Sundarbans’ food chain.
She said sustainable tourism should be developed to ensure safe habitats for tigers and suggested that limiting the number of visitors to the Sundarbans could be considered.
The event, chaired by Chief Conservator of Forests Md Amir Hossain Chowdhury, also featured presentations by Jahangirnagar University’s Zoology Department professor Dr M A Aziz and Khulna Conservator of Forests Imran Ahmed.
Among those attending were Dr Md Anwarul Islam, chief executive of WildTeam, Bipasha S. Hossain, country representative of IUCN Bangladesh, officials from the ministry and the Forest Department and journalists from various media organisations.
