Green groups have expressed concerns over the lack of proper measures to protect the Sundarbans mangrove forest and the world-famous Bengal Tigers.
The environment of the Sundarbans is difficult for tigers to survive due to the effects of climate change, including increased salinity, regular cyclones and tidal surges, and increased violence by poaching syndicates.
Demanding a favourable environment for the Sundarbans tigers and World Tiger Day, which is being observed today, activists from Bangladesh Poribesh Andolan (Bapa) formed a human chain at South Kainmari of Mongla yesterday morning.
Md Noor Alam Sheikh, the convener of the Mongla unit, presided over the program. Bapa leader Abdur Rashid Hawladar, Molla Al Mamun, Kamala Sarkar, Sheikh Russel, Tanvi Mandal and others spoke at the human chain.
They said food is a big issue for tigers. The tiger's regular food is deer. If there are not enough deer in the Sundarbans, there will be no tigers. Carrying different placards, they urged the government to scrap all projects that are harmful to the mangrove forest, a Unesco World Heritage Site.
In 2010, Bangladesh and 12 other countries announced they would double the number of tigers within 12 years at the tiger conference in Russia, Bapa leader Noor said.
Meanwhile, Nepal has doubled the number of tigers. India and Bhutan also took it close to doubling. But the number of tigers in Bangladesh has not increased much, he added.
