Rasheduzzaman Rashed: The Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world, located on the border of Bangladesh and India.Sixty percent of this forest with an area of about 10 thousand square kilometers is located on the border of Bangladesh. Which is a matter of pride of the people of Bangladesh. Special attraction of Sundarbans Royal Bengal Tiger, which is the national animal of our country.

The Sundarbans, situated on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, acts as a natural wall of settlement in the southwestern part of the country against the onslaught of tidal waves. There are 450 rivers and canals in 31 percent of the forest. There are 334 species of plants, 165 species of algae and 13 species of orchids, including Sundari, the main salt-eating plant in the forest. The Sundarbans alone protects Bangladesh from cyclones, storms and natural disasters. But sadly, without protecting the Sundarbans, we are busy destroying it. We do not remember that if the Sundarbans is destroyed, we will become an endangered nation. In particular, Aila, Amphan, Cedar, Fani, Bulbul, Nargis and Yas protected Bangladesh from natural disasters. The last very strong cyclone ‘Ampan’ saved us by getting the Sundarbans booked.

The Sundarbans keeps Bangladesh safe just as the mother tries to keep her child safe from all dangers.

February 14 is Sundarbans Day. The first National Sundarbans Conference was held on 14 February 2001 in Khulna. That conference came up like the mother of the Sundarbans.  Love the Sundarbans on World Love Day.  As a result, Sundarbans Day was celebrated regionally on 14 February for the first time in Khulna and the adjoining areas of the Sundarbans with the slogan of saving the Sundarbans in mind. Sadly, the state apparatus is ready to destroy the Sundarbans in the guise of development. Environmental groups have been protesting on the streets with slogans such as "Mother Earth will not be an estuary, save nature and save the country". The Corona epidemic is showing how effective the development of the country is by destroying the nature of life. People all over the world are realizing the consequences of oppressing nature to an invisible virus. And millions of people have had to give their lives.  With the increase of population in the world with the change of time, the demand for daily necessities of human life is increasing. And to meet that demand we have to depend on the mills.  As a result of increasing levels of carbon emissions from mills, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing, resulting in an increase in ambient temperature. Which is creating an uninhabitable world for mankind. The level of environmental pollution around the world is now alarming. Recently, the river Jamuna in Delhi, India has caused severe pollution. The amount of ammonia and phosphate in that water has increased excessively. Pollution has taken a serious turn due to excessive discharge of mill wastes into the waters of the river Jamuna. It will not only affect the citizens of India but will also indirectly affect the entire human race. As a result, environmental pollution is an international problem and every state has to play its role in finding a solution.  Due to the extreme negligence and unconsciousness of the human race, the environment of the world is now under threat.  Excessive population growth, unplanned urbanization, indiscriminate deforestation and deforestation, misuse of natural resources, rapid industrialization, excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides, industrial wastes, toxic fumes from cars, ozone depletion, unplanned construction, unplanned construction,  Human civilization today is severely disrupted due to the problem of environmental pollution due to use etc.  Where the state is constantly saying "plant trees to save the environment".  The question remains as to how much the state is organizing to protect the Sundarbans there.  We want development, so life does not destroy nature.  According to a 2004 survey of footprints in Bangladesh, there were 440 tigers.  But in 2015, for the first time in Bangladesh, a survey conducted through camera traps revealed that the number of tigers was 108. Then in 2016 Bangladesh conducted another census stating that the number of tigers was 114. According to another survey of Bangladesh in 2021, the number of tigers is 134.  If the tiger becomes extinct, the ecosystem will be destroyed and the forest will be deforested. This will increase the salinity by flooding the lowlands due to the effect of excess tides. So that crop production will decrease and poverty in that region will increase. If the ecosystem is destroyed, all these kinds of plans have to be stopped.  The UNESCO Commission of the United Nations declared the Sundarbans as the 697th World Heritage Site on December 6, 1997.  Since the recognition of the world heritage, there is no end to the interest of the world, including nature lovers, in this Sundarbans.  But sadly, UNESCO is warning that the Sundarbans is on the verge of losing its World Heritage status.  This is because the Bangladesh Power Development Board is jointly constructing a 1,320 MW power plant at Rampal in Bagerhat next to the Sundarbans with NTPC Limited of India. The people of the country, including environmental scientists, experts and progressive political leaders and activists, protested against the government`s decision not to build the thermal power plant next to the Sundarbans, but the government has continued to destroy the Sundarbans in a dictatorial manner. On the other hand, setting the Sundarbans on fire, poisoning fishing, killing tigers and deer, sinking ships, and building factories near the Sundarbans have put the forest in crisis. In the last two decades, there have been 24 fires in the Sundarbans.  About 62 acres of forest land has been burnt.  Who wants to destroy the Sundarbans with forest fire?  The state must take appropriate action against them. Our fisheries are being lost forever from the Sundarbans and our fish resources are running out. As the health risks of people are increasing by eating poisonous fish, wild animals including tigers and deer are getting sick by drinking poisonous water.  A vicious cycle of tiger-deer hunting. According to the law of the land, no red class factory can be set up within 10 kilometers of the Sundarbans. The existing industries need to be removed quickly.  Punishment of those who break the law must be ensured. According to UNESCO`s recommendations, a `Strategic Environmental Survey` report on the southwestern part of the country, including the Sundarbans, should be prepared and implemented in accordance with UNESCO`s recommendations. Public access to the Sundarbans must be stopped and separate forces must be formed to protect the Sundarbans.Places that are prone to crime in the Sundarbans should be monitored under CCTV. The food crisis needs to be alleviated through re-introduction by setting up deer and pig farms around the forest for adequate food for tigers. People who make a living in the Sundarbans will have to find employment elsewhere. In order to raise the awareness of the people of the Sundarbans dependent and forest-adjacent villages, various types of meetings, seminars, documentary exhibitions have to be organized regularly. Sundarbans users need to take steps in state initiatives to protect forests and forest resources.  If the Sundarbans survives, nature will survive and if the nature survives, people will survive, so the state must protect the Sundarbans in the national interest. Sad but true, beauties are not good. The number of beauties is declining at an alarming rate due to natural calamities, climate change and increasing salinity. So let us pledge to protect forests, trees and diversity on Sundarbans Day. I keep the country healthy.

Author: Rasheduzzaman Rashed columnist. He can be reached at rashedssf12@gmail.com