Bangladesh’s natural beauty and diverse ecology are two of the most immediate and important components of our national identity. While, in the past, the government and relevant authorities have dropped the ball when it comes to the conservation of our natural heritage, ever since the disastrous oil spill nine years ago in the Sundabans’ River Shela, there now appears to be a renewed focus on maintaining the sanctity of our flora and fauna.
The Forest Department’s newest method of carrying out the tiger census, where it would install 600 cameras in the Sundarbans, is incredibly forward-thinking, and we hope that it signals increased investment in the government’s overall conservation efforts moving forwards.
It is incredibly encouraging to see that the authorities are now employing modern technologies to ensure that our heritage is being accounted for and protected to a degree, as simply relying on NGOs and advocacy groups to do so is not the way. Conservation efforts need to be codified at a policy level for us as poaching and wildlife trafficking have long been issues that the administration has failed to meaningfully combat until recently.
Article 18A of the Bangladesh Constitution has hard provisions which account for the conservation and safety of forest, wildlife, endangered species, our and biodiversity. However, legal provisions without pro-active enforcement mean absolutely nothing.
It is in our best interests that we do right by nature as its contribution to the economy is critical, especially for developing nations like Bangladesh. While this is still an area that needs more work in our nation, the Forest Department’s Ecosystem Service Valuation Database can be considered a jumping off point.
As a nation on the front-lines of the global climate crisis, Bangladesh will need to start taking the ecology and conservation efforts into its policy-making to a greater degree. And there is no better time to have that conversation than right now.
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
