A government press note on Sunday had said the day would be observed with the slogan “Save tigers to protect Sundarbans”.
The forest division organised a rally and a discussion in Dhaka on Monday to mark the occasion. Khulna Sundarbans West Forest Division also made similar arrangements.
The press note said the programme includes a rally from the capital’s Doyel Chatwar to Osmani Memorial Auditorium at 8 am and a discussion on Global Tiger Day-2013 at 9 am.
Meanwhile, a colourful procession was brought out from Khulna’s Circuit House at 9am. A discussion on was held at Deputy Commissioner’s conference room at 9:30am.
The International Tiger day has been observed on this day since the 2010 World Tiger Conference in Russia’s Saint Petersburg.
Environment activists around the world have voiced concerns over the dwindling tiger population.
There are about 3000 tigers left on earth. The world’s largest mangrove forest the Sundarbans has a few hundred Royal Bengal Tigers.
Sundarbans East and West Forest Division said the government is implementing the ‘Bangladesh Tiger Action Plan 2009-17’ for the preservation of Royal Bengal Tigers.
The plan aims to create awareness about tiger preservation and has formed 31 tiger response teams to prevent tiger attacks in the areas adjacent to the forest, and to protect the tigers from human attacks.
The Wildlife (Conservation) Act has been amended to increase the punishment for killing tigers.
32 tigers have died in the Sundarbans due to various reasons in the last decade. 260 men and women have fallen prey to tiger attacks. Most of these victims are the forest dwellers who collect prawn sperm from nearby rivers and ponds.
An official of Sundarbans East Division Amir Hossain Chowdhury told bdnews24.com that 17 Royal Bengal Tigers died in East Sundarbans from 2001 to July 28 this year. A total of 26 people, including one woman, died from tiger attacks during this time.
He said the causes of the tigers’ deaths include ageing, assault by people after venturing into the locality, 2007’s cyclone Sidr, and illegal hunting.
Jahir Uddin Ahmen, Official of Sundarbans West Division said 15 Royal Bengal Tigers died in West Sundarbans during the same period while 234 men and women were fatally wounded in tiger attacks.
District Forest Officer (DFO) of Sundarbans Circle Wildlife Conservation Division Adu Naser Yeasin Newaz said the Environment and Forest Ministry proposed to Bangladesh bank for a taka 13.1-million project, titled ‘Strengthening Regional Cooperation for Wildlife Protection’, for camera tracking of tigers.
If the project is sanctioned, a tiger population census in the areas would start from September this year.
The DFO said the census in 2008, based on tiger-footprints count, revealed there were 440 Royal Bengal Tigers in the Sundarbans.
