World Tiger Day activities in Mongla highlighted threats from poaching, poisoning, pollution and climate impacts, with organisers calling for stronger protection of the Sundarbans habitat.
Protecting tigers, the main symbol of the Sundarbans, has become a major challenge, speakers said at a World Tiger Day discussion in Mongla, a coastal area of southwestern Bangladesh, on Wednesday morning.
They said tigers could not be protected unless their habitat in the Sundarbans, a natural heritage site, is also protected.
In the 1930s, wild tigers existed in 11 of 17 districts of eastern Bengal, speakers said at the discussion held at Mithakhali Bazar in Mongla on 29 July.
They said 93 percent of the world’s tigers had disappeared over the past 100 years. In the 19th century, there were about 100,000 tigers across 33 countries, while today around 4,000 remain in only eight countries, they said.
The discussion, titled “Save the Sundarbans, save the tiger”, was organised by Dhoritry Rokkhay Amra (DHORA), Pashur River Waterkeeper, Badabon Sangha and Waterkeepers Bangladesh.
The event began at 11:00am and was chaired by DHORA central leader and Pashur River Waterkeeper environmental activist Md Nur Alam Sheikh.
Speakers included Mongla Upazila BNP president Abdul Mannan Hawlader, social worker and politician Sheikh Rustum Ali, environmental activist Nazmul Haque, Jane Alam Babu, lyricist Molla Al Mamun, student leaders Moin Gazi and Arafat Durjoy, and environmental activist Mehedi Hasan.
In his presidential speech, Nur Alam Sheikh said local and international tiger-smuggling rings were active in the Sundarbans.
“These rings kill tigers and smuggle their body parts abroad,” he said. “This smuggling network must be suppressed.”
He said it had become urgent to protect the Sundarbans, the habitat of tigers, from the impacts of climate change.
“Tigers cannot be protected unless wildlife killing, fish killing through poison, poaching and pollution in the Sundarbans are stopped,” he said. “The Tiger Action Plan must be implemented to protect tigers.”
Abdul Mannan said tigers were a symbol of courage and valour.
“Tigers and the world heritage Sundarbans must be protected through the combined efforts of all,” he said.
Sheikh Rustum Ali said policymakers must give importance to protecting the Sundarbans.
“Integrated initiatives and planning must be adopted,” he said.
Mehedi Hasan said influential people and political patronage were contributing to the destruction of tigers and their habitat in the Sundarbans.
“We cannot in any way allow our pride, the tiger, and the world heritage Sundarbans to be destroyed,” he said.
Before the discussion, a colourful rally passed through Chandpai and Mithakhali Bazar areas.
Organisers also arranged a tiger drill and a friendly football match at Mithakhali field at 4:00pm to raise awareness about protecting tigers and the Sundarbans.
