‘Sundarbans Day-2022’ was observed on Monday (February 14) with the call to save the world’s largest mangrove forest in the interest of the country.
The day was observed this year with the slogan - ‘Love the Sundarbans on the World Valentine’s Day’.
The green activists and the environmentalists said that the biodiversity of the Sundarbans is now at risk due to human actions. People need to step away from destroying the forest, and a sustainable environment-friendly development plan needs to be adopted. They called for stopping the killing of wildlife and planned forest fires to save the mangrove forest.
Muhammad Anowarul Hoque, Secretary General at ‘Save Our Sea’, called for protecting the Sundarbans to save Bangladesh. He told Bangladesh Post that effective
implementation of environmental laws is needed to save the life, nature, biodiversity and environment of the largest mangrove forest. Bangladesh will survive if the Sundarbans is saved.
On the occasion of Sundarbans Day, Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan (BAPA) and the National Committee for Protecting Sundarbans jointly arranged a webinar on Monday.
President of BAPA and the committee Advocate Sultana Kamal chaired the event, while vice president of BAPA Dr Nazrul Islam, Dr Md Abdul Matin, Prof Dr Anu Mohammad and several other experts on the environment spoke on the occasion.
Speakers of the webinar said that salinity in the Sundarbans is increasing day by day due to climate change. Besides, the flow of water in the rivers and canals is decreasing gradually and several canals of the forest have been filled with silt. Against this backdrop, the Sundarbans is now at risk. It has to be protected, they said.
Marking the day, green activists as well as different other social and environmental organisations also arranged various programmes in other parts of the country. Discussions and different other programmes were held in Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira, Pirojpur and Barguna. Many of the programmes were held virtually due to the Covid-19 situation.
On the occasion, the green activists gathered near the Sundarbans and staged a unique demonstration on Monday morning, seeking forgiveness for the human atrocities against the biggest mangrove forest in the world that has for generations acted as a shield for the coastal areas and it is also a source of livelihood for many.
BAPA, Waterkeepers Bangladesh, Pashur River Waterkeeper along with other banners organised the demonstration at Dangmari in Sundarbans.
The platforms observed the day by seeking forgiveness for the use of fossil fuels, creating climate crisis, unplanned industrialization, shipwreck of coal-oil filled ships in Pashur River, ship waste industry and plastic pollution, killing of wildlife including tigers, deer, birds, poisoning aquatic life including dolphins, and deforestation.
The speakers at the demonstration said that the Sundarbans forest has acted as a shield for the people and was now being destroyed. Firm steps have to be taken to save the biodiversity of Sundarbans from risk.
In this situation, various demands have been raised at different times to save the Sundarbans, including celebrating ‘Sundarbans Day’ nationally. There is also a demand for the formation of a separate ministry for the Sundarbans. The demands were also raised from Monday’s programmes.
According to green activists and forest officials, ‘Sundari’ trees of Sundarbans are dying due to excessive salinity. Wildlife is also being affected by various diseases by consuming salt water. In the Sundarbans, wild animals are being hunted and people do fishing by spraying pesticides in rivers and canals which threaten the biodiversity of the Sundarbans.
According to various sources, there are 450 small and big rivers and canals in the Sundarbans. Several small and big canal beds have been filled with silt due to a lack of water flow. A variety of wild animals, including tigers and deer, leave the Sundarbans, cross canals, and enter the locality very often and lose their lives.
Muhammad Belayet Hossain, divisional forest officer (DFO) of the Sundarbans East Division, said that over 20 canals under the Sundarbans East Division have been filled with silt. Besides, a 30-km area of the Bhola River from Jaymoni to Das Bharani, Kharma canal and Aruarber canal has been filled.
Against this backdrop, the demand for the formation of a separate ministry for the Sundarbans is timely.
Executive Director of Sundarbans Academy Anwarul Qadir said that they have been demanding the formation of a separate ministry for the management of the Sundarbans to save the forest and improve the living standards of the people living near the forest.
