The post The three tigers were poisoned: forest dept appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
]]>The police seized the three tiger pelts during a raid in which six suspected tiger poachers were shot dead in a gunfight at a hideout in the world’s largest mangrove forest.
Divisional Forest Officer of Sundarban West Forest Division Zahir Uddin Ahmed told New Age the probe body submitted its investigation report Tuesday afternoon hinting the poachers killed the tigers under a deal worth at least Tk 30 lakh.
The investigation committee, however, could not ascertain the final destination of skins and the masterminds of the racket.
The four-member probe body headed by the assistant conservator of forests, in charge of Satkhira range, Md Shoaib Khan suspected the poachers killed the tigers in the Khulna range of Sundarbans.
One of the members of the probe body said they could not found any mark of injury caused by bullets or sharp weapons on the hide.
‘We suspect the tiger was killed by poisoning,’ the member said.
Divisional Forest Officer of Sundarban West Forest Division Zahir Uddin said this was the latest incident of tiger killing after the recovery of the bones of a tiger on Friday. ‘After examining the bones we suspect the tiger was either killed or died about six month ago,’ he said.
Police arrested two suspected poachers with 69 pieces of bones from Natun Bazar launch terminal in the district town on Friday.
The survey report and conservationists said poaching, the under construction coal-fired Rampal power plant, other development activities and river vessel traffic were threats to the unique biodiversity of the Sunderbans.
Experts and the last tiger census report found poaching to be one of the main reasons for the decline in the number of Royal Bengal tigers.
According to the survey findings tiger density was adversely affected by human disturbance which was high in the Bangladesh side of the Sunderbans compared to the Indian part.
It blamed increasing commercial boat traffic, development activities around the Sundarbans and poaching of tigers and their prey for the low density of the big cats in the Bangladesh part of the mangrove forest.
The Deputy Commissioner of Khulna district Md Mostafa Kamal at a press conference on Tuesday suggested the forest department stop giving permission from now on to honey collectors and woodcutters.
‘Because, it is not possible for forest department to identify who is a genuine honey collector or poacher. Poachers are entering the forest in the guise of honey collectors or wood cutters and doing damage to Bengal tigers,’ he said.
He stressed need for taking preventive measures to save tigers from being killed, which needs to be monitored by the forest department officials.
-With New Age input
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]]>Law enforcers, however, were unable to arrest any of the pirates during the drive.
Acting on secret information, coastguard west zone, Bangladesh Navy, Air Force with helicopter and Rapid Action Battalion jointly launched the drive in a large area from around 5:30am, including Keyar Char, Shelar Char, Narkelbaria and Kayra under Sundarban west and east zones, said officials of Coastguard west zone.
They said that when joint forces reached the east side of Narkelbaria, the pirates of Sagar Bahini, sensing the presence of law enforcers, opened fire to which law enforcers responded to by firing back.
During the gunfight, law enforcers fired 90 ammunitions. The pirates however left the area and managed to flee into deep forest, Coast Guard west zone commander M Saidur Rahman told New Age.
The gunfight was over by 2:00pm and they searched the area, rescuing four fishermen. During the operation, 16 other fishermen were freed by the pirates, he said.
Saidur added that they also recovered two guns, two ammunitions, one deer horn and other lethal weapons from the area. They also destroyed the pirate’s den.
A total of around 200 law enforcers launched the drive, using six ships, six boats and other water vessels. The rescued fishermen were taken to Kapilmuni in Sundarban from where they would be sent home.
Earlier, joint forces began the drive by cordoning-off the Sundarban forest to prevent the pirates from fleeing.
On August 11, a gang of armed pirates attacked hilsa fishermen and kidnapped around 40 other fishermen along with three trawlers and looted valuables worth about Tk 12 lakh from near Fairway Buoya of the Bay of Bengal under Sharankhola in Bagerhat.
They had demanded Tk one lakh as ransom to free each of the fishermen.
-With New Age input
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]]>The export of this crab has sharply increased over the last decade, leading to the intensification of the onslaught on the wild species, which is also known as mangrove crab, green crab, shila kakra, or by the scientific name of Scylla Serrata.
Environmentalists warn that a depletion of mud crab population will lead to a severe degradation of soil, water, plants and animals in the mangrove and recommend government’s steps to restrict the crab hunting.
Dr Monirul H Khan, a zoology professor at Jahangrinagar University, told the news agency, “The boost in crab export, particularly after the introduction of crab fattening, is taking its toll on the mud crabs of the Sundarbans.”
According to Export Promotion Bureau, Bangladesh exported 3,550 tonnes of crabs in 2011-12, earning Tk 59.24 crore. The export of crabs and eels has increased 30 times from 2000 to 2011, show records at the Department of Fisheries.
The depletion of mud crab population will, first and foremost, lead to pollution of mangrove water bodies, Prof Monirul said. “As detrivores (eaters of dead things), mud crabs clean and destroy stuffs that can pollute the water.
He said if the government wanted to promote the export of mud crabs it should introduce hatcheries and nurseries like India, Myanmar and Thailand for cultivation of farm varieties rather than allowing its collection from the wild.
“To be more precise, mud crab hunting during its breeding period should be banned. The forest department this year banned the collection of mud crabs from the Sundarbans during the breeding period from January to February, but it failed to curb the crab hunting due to a lack of enforcement,” he said.
Krishnendu Shaha, chief fisheries extension officer at the Department of Fisheries, said 6.3 lakh hectares of land adjacent to the 710km-long coastline in the country was identified as extensive mud crab collection zone.
The commerce on crabs depends largely on natural sources, as Bangladesh is yet to adopt farm-breeding of crabs like other crab exporting countries, he said.
-With UNB/The Daily Star input
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]]>The post Save Sonadia, save Sundarbans appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
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Sonadia Island is one of the biodiversity hotspot of Bangladesh. In 1995, the Government of Bangladesh included a provision for the declaration of Ecologically Critical Area (ECA) in the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act. Twelve sites are classified as ECAs and guidelines exist to control further damage to these areas. Sonadia is considered ecologically important by the government and in 1999 was declared as an ECA under Environmental Act of 1995.Sonadia Island is located on the south-east corner of Bangladesh. The island is unique for wintering shorebirds specially the globally critically endangered Spoon-bill sandpiper, one of the rarest migratory birds in the world, with a population of just 300-350 pairs left in the wild (Zöckler, 2006). Lying within the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, Sonadia is used by migratory birds as a stopover during their long migration further south.
The island provides breeding areas for four globally threatened species of marine turtles, and serves as a significant bird refuge for over 80 migratory species. In addition, its inshore waters are feeding grounds for a number of globally threatened marine mammals, such as the Irrawaddy and Bottlenose dolphins. Sonadia Island supports the last remnants of special mangrove forests, which once stretched along most of the coastline of Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar. These mangrove species are different from those found in the Sundarbans and can tolerate higher levels of salinity. The island supports a large number of marine turtles, water birds, mollusks and echinoderms.
The government is considering to establish a deep water sea-port at Sonadia island and a coal-based thermal power plant at Hoanok Union near Sonadia Island, Moheshkhali, in Cox’s Bazar. Bangladesh Government also going to establish another two more coal based thermal power plants to be constructed at Anwara of Chittagong near Karnophuly off-take and Rampal of Bagerhat along the Pasur river about 4 km distance from Sundarbans buffer zone.
The coal-based thermal power plant in an area adjacent to the Sundarbans would harm the forest’s unique characteristics. The construction of the shipyard and silo inside the Sundarbans would lead to felling of trees and extinction of wildlife. And it is also the same threat for Sonadia’s ecosystem.
When the nation was one to protect the Sundarbans and its biodiversity, an initiative had been taken to build a thermal power plant, based on coal imported from India, with a capacity of 1,320 megawatt in the super critical area of the forest. If coal is burnt to generate power, a large quantity of sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and chlorofluoro-carbon would spread in the air, causing a great measure of environmental degradation, including acid rain, in the area. It is our responsibility to preserve the Sundarbans.
Sonadia island has formed as a barrier island just south-west of Moheshkhali Island. Natural sandy break waters face parallel to the flat coastlines of Moheshkhali. To the east a small channel separates the two islands while to the southeast shallow bays separate it by 3.5 km from the mainland Cox’s Bazar. ý The beach is rich in mollusk shells. The beaches and shallow shoals surrounding the site provide an excellent staging area and wintering ground for migratory waterfowl and shorebirds, and the sand dunes provide nesting grounds for marine turtles. The sandy shore is the last remaining habitat for numerous red crabs. The largest undisturbed salt marsh area is in the south of Sonadia Island; other areas are along the mangrove formations north of Sonadia West village, between Moheshkhali and Sonadia Islands, and along the mangrove formations of Baradia-Vanga canal in Moheshkhali.
The mangroves of the site have developed in a lagoonal coastal setting and also a deltaic formation, with salt-tolerant dominant species attributed to the extreme ecological factors of high salt-content soil and water and it is total 500 ha. The mangroves provide an excellent wintering ground for migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, and a nursing and feeding ground for fish and shrimp species. The near-shore waters provide important habitat for breeding, growth and development of many inshore and near shore fishes and invertebrate species of the north-eastern part of the Bay of Bengal.
The site’s diverse habitats support three different vegetation types. The vegetation of the sand dunes consists of 35 species of angiosperm, in particular Ipomea pescapre, Vitex trifolia, Clerodendrum inerme, Pandanus odoratissimus and Calotropis gigantia. The salt marsh vegetation consists of Porteresia coarctata and Myristichia wighthenia. The plant population of Porteresia ýcoarctata (Roxb) Tateoka at Sonadia island, a wild grass relative of rice, is internationally important for the development of salt-tolerant varieties of rice. Twenty-seven species of mangrove and mangrove-associated vegetation were recorded in earlier surveys from Sonadia.
About 80 species of migratory waterfowl and shorebirds visit the site for resting, roosting, feeding and wintering, and as a staging ground during migration. These include four bird species that are listed as globally threatened the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Asian Dowitcher, Nordmann’s Greenshank and River Lapwing. Two fresh-water turtles — the Bengal-eyed turtle (Morenia peterci) and the Indian flap shell turtle are reported from the site. A total of ten species of frogs and one species of toad were recorded from Sonadia.
Previous surveys of the Moheshkhali Channel found 79 species of fish, including 78 bony fish species. The site is very rich in mollusks and crustaceans. Molluskýspecies belonging to 14 genera of bivalves, clams, mussels and oysters are known to occur at the site (Anon., 1990). Crustaceans include various species of portunid crab, Mud Crab and Blue Swimmer Crab. Of particular importance is the Indian Horseshoe Crab or King Crab, which is considered a living fossil and is listed as a threatened species. 19 species of peneaid, solenocerid, sergestid and careidean prawn species have been recorded in a number of surveys of the Moheshkhali channel. The canals and near shore and offshore areas of Sonadia Island support at least four species of globally threatened coastal and marine cetaceans, including Finless porpoise, Irrawaddy dolphin, Bottlenose dolphin, and Indo-Pacific Humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis). All are listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Cetacean species diversity might be greater than recorded so far. The threatened Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) and Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) nest at Sonadia island. The nesting site is considered unique in Bangladesh in view of the fact that the beach is pristine, free from tourism and other impacts.
Now a Japanese consultancy firm named Pacific Consultant International (PCI) has conducted a feasibility survey for the construction of the deep-water seaport at the site. The proposed port would have 54 jetties, with a total length of 11 kilometers. The first phase would be completed by 2016 and the full development finished by ý2055. The Jetty will be used for coal unloading and transportation.
So it is a question of the general people and the environmentalists: how a globally important biodiversity hot spot and ECA is going to give way a deep sea port and coal based thermal power plant?
If the two big structures are established in Moheshkhali the total costal ecosystem would be changed and the habitats important for sea turtles, shorebirds and cetaceans will be lost. And it would also wiped out the mangroves and overall marine resources in an area where also hundreds of thousands of community people from the whole of Moheskhali, Kutubdia and even Chittagong depend for their daily livelihood.
It would be a great upcoming human induced disaster destroying our costal ecosystem if four establishments are constructed in south, center and eastern part of the coast along the Bay of Bengal including the world heritage site.
The proposed site (Rampal) for the plants is too close to famous Sundarbans forest and Sonadia Island. The discharge from the power plant, like sulphur dioxide and fly ash, will have disastrous consequences for the fauna and flora of the mangrove swamps as well as the sea shore biodiversity. If excess pressure is put on the Poshur river, it will have a definite negative impact on the forests. A deep sea port at Sonadia Island would destroy the habitat not only of sea turtles, but also shorebirds and other biodiversity related to coastal wetland and marine systems.
PCI selected the Sonadia site in the Cox’s Bazar district, with a second suitable site option (of similar depth) about 20 km north at Kutubdia Island. This alternative site is less important for biodiversity compared to Sonadia island, and would leave a sufficient buffer zone. It is our request to all concerned people, scientists and environmentalists nationally and internationally to advocate for and raise these issues and try to convince the Bangladesh Government to relocate the deep-sea port, coal power plant sites away from biodiversity hotspots like Sundarbans and Sonadia island.
(Article originally published on The Daily Star)
The writer is a biodiversity specialist, nature.sourav@gmail.com
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It is learnt from newspapers very recently that in the Sundarbans area three large constructions will take place which are very dangerous and detrimental to normal functioning of the mangrove forest ecosystem. It means that the interactions between biotic and abiotic factors will be seriously hampered in the ecosystems conservation. The projects are: construction of coal-based electric plant; depot for storage of coal in Phulbari; and a ship-yard covering large area. Already it is protested by various environment related organizations. The Forest Department has also shown its reservation. And Ramsar Convention points out that if these three constructions are done in the Sundarbans area then biodiversity in the ecosystem will be seriously hampered.Ramsar Convention (Ramsar sites) is concerned with Wetlands of International Importance. The convention was signed in Ramsar (Iran) in 1971 and came into force in December 1975. This convention provides a framework for international cooperation for conservation of wetland habitats. The Ramsar convention was adopted to halt the continued destruction of wetlands, particularly those which support migratory waterfowl, and to recognise the ecological, scientific, economic and recreational values of wetlands (Kusler and Kentula, 1990; Hails, 1996). The convention places general obligations on contracting party states relating to the conservation of wetlands throughout their territories with special obligations pertaining to those Wetlands of International Importance.
The Ramsar convention covers fresh water, estuarine and coastal marine habitats and includes more than 844 sites with a total area of more than 54 million ha. Up to 1998, the 94 countries that have signed the Ramsar convention agreed to conserve and protect their wetland resources and designate for conservation purposes at least one wetland site of international significance. A widely cited definition of wetlands is found in RAMSAR convention, such as: areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or saline, including areas of marine waters, the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres. Bangladesh signed the convention in 1972.
By this time letter on behalf of Ramsar Convention has been written to the government of Bangladesh expressing concerning that, these three constructions will release huge amount of carbon in nature, large volume of sulphur and dust particles. Coal burning will produce high rate of sulphur, this will increase sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere and increase possibility of acid rains. The Ramsar Convention points out that no survey has been made so far on the question of bad effect of such releases on the biodiversity of Sundarbans ecosystem. The global organisation asked the government to produce data on the matters and send to its head office. The global organisation also pointed out that according to the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act (1997) and Environment Conservation Law (1995) the country cannot go for such constructions in the Sundarbans area.
Our concern is not political or administrative. The people of the country have got every right to know about healthy sustenance of the unique ecosystem situated in Bangladesh coastal area. We are to see how the largest mangrove ecosystem is scientifically affected and brutally tortured on the question of development hoodwinking environmental soundness. How the biodiversity is crying only to survive in the planet on the point of its right to be survived there. It is learnt that if a 500 megawatt electric plant is set up in an area it will produce (per year) 37 lac tons of carbon dioxide, 10 thousand tons of sulphur dioxide, 10 thousand tons of nitrogen oxide, 500 tons of dust particles, 720 tons of carbon monoxide, 170 tons of mercury, 225 pounds of arsenic, and 114 pounds of lead.
It is learnt that the electric plant (coal-based) to be constructed in the Sunderbans area will be of 2640 megawatt capacity. In that case just calculate the volume of dangerous pollutants it will release in the ecosystem. In addition to that other two constructions will release more pollutant materials. If this is the situation of the environmental degradation to be faced in the Sundarbans area because of the constructions to be made, then both the plants and the animals in aquatic and terrestrial habitats will have to collapse with their photosynthetic and respiratory activities choked. No plant-animal interaction will be functional in the area. And consequently Sundarbans ecosystem will lose its status.
Such drastic environmental degradation attempts are very open to the people of the country. People of the country have right ask the authority what about the query of the Ramsar Convention regarding the situation? It is to be remembered that such degradation of biodiversity in any ecosystem of the country will cause biological degeneration for the people in future and it may soon to be happened if not checked now.
(Article originally published on The Daily Star)
The writer is Professor, Department of Zoology and former Dean, Faculty of Biological Sciences University of Dhaka.
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]]>Wife of Sujuddin, a fisherman at Angtihara village near the forest, saw it first around 6:00pm on Saturday when she entered her house. The tigress was there until the next morning.
The house owner spent the night outside the house waiting for a village tiger response team. Hundreds of villagers out of curiosity crowded around the house.
The village tiger response team reached the scene in the morning. It tranquillized the tigress and brought to Kolagachia camp safely within 30 minutes. At the time of filing of the report, the tigress was being taken to Dhaka forest office.
Today, it will be transferred to Dulahazari safari park.
“The six-year-old tigress was very weak because it was difficult for her to hunt with three legs,” said Abu Naser Mohsin Hossain, assistant conservator of forest (ACF), Sundarbans division, who tranquillized the tigress.
Seeing the leg injury, he said the tigress had lost the leg when it had been a cub of one or one and a half years.
Earlier, forest and Sundarbans Tiger Project officials captured another stray tiger on February 19 last year from Harinagar village of Shyamnagar upazila in Satkhira district. It was released into the Sundarbans and later found dead in the forest.
-With The Daily Star input
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Bangladesh, a South-Asian country wrapped up with great streaming rivers, is indeed a land of green and natural beauty. The land possesses the longest sea beach and is home to the Royal Bengal Tiger. Sundarbans is also the biggest mangrove forest in the world. The country, once part of undivided Bengal, is proud of her beautiful heritage and historical relics. Having a population of diverse religions along with tribal people, the land has rich culture and deep-rooted traditions.Bangladesh has a long past of peace and turmoil, prosperity and destitution. Evidence shows that the country experienced the presence of different nations, like the Mongolians. Then the Aryans came from Central Asia and the Dravidians from Western India in the fifth and sixth centuries BC. The Guptas, Palas, Senas who were Buddhists and Hindus came later to this land. In the 13th century Muslim invaders came and started to reign. After almost 200 years, Europeans such as Portuguese, Dutch, French and British traders came and exerted influence over the region. The British ruled the nation for almost two centuries and in 1947 the country divided into India and Pakistan. After a nine month long liberation war with Pakistan, Bangladesh emerged as an independent nation on the world map in 1971. To experience the diversity of the land anyone is welcome to simply step in.
HOW TO COME IN BANGLADESH
Bangladesh is connected to the international network through services of different national and international airlines. Some of these airlines also have domestic services in the periphery of the country as well.
Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways, a Qatar-based company, flies to over 100 destinations across six different continents, and is currently operating 11 flights every week from Bangladesh to its hub in Doha.
Regent Airways
In the domestic network Regent Airways operates five flights daily to Chittagong, twice daily to Jessore, and once daily to Cox’s Bazar and Sylhet. They are also planning to expand into international operations.
Jet Airways
Bangladesh is also connected with services by Jet Airways that connects 24 international destinations. Jet Airways is currently operating 21 flights every week from Dhaka to different international destinations.
Saudi Arabia Airlines
Saudi Arabia Airlines is also operating 11 passenger flights a week between Dhaka and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). During the Hajj season, the airlines generally add extra flights to transport pilgrims from Bangladesh.
United Airways
A tourist can also come to Bangladesh with United Airways. It has flights in both international and domestic routes. In the international routes it has flights to London, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuala Lumpur, Kathmandu, Kolkata and Bangkok. In the domestic routes it has flights from Dhaka to Chittagong, Sylhet, Jessore, Cox’s Bazar, Rajshahi and Saidpur.
RAK Airways
RAK Airways has flight services in Kozhikode, Jeddah, Dhaka, Chittagong, Cairo, Doha, Lahore, Peshawar, Kuwait and Khartoum. The airline offers free parking for passengers who wish to drive to RAK International Airport, 30 minutes away from Sharjah and 45 minutes away from Dubai.
Biman Bangladesh
Biman Bangladesh, the national airlines of Bangladesh, has connections to 18 international destinations in Asia and Europe. It also has domestic connections from Dhaka to Chittagong, Sylhet and Cox’s Bazar.
Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, offers splendid hospitality. It offers direct flights to Bangladesh in addition to indirect flights on a daily basis.
WHERE TO STAY IN THE CITY
The city has some splendid hotels where a guest can find spectacular arrangements and hospitality.
Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka
The Pan Pacific Sonargaon, a five-star hotel, is located in the centre of Dhaka just 18 kilometres from the airport. The hotel offers world-class hospitality for business and leisure travellers. It has a fully equipped gymnasium, sauna, steam room and massage treatments. It also has an impressive swimming pool. The hotel offers food for different tastes with its food and beverage outlets including Café Bazar, Ciao Bistro, Oriental Jharna, Pool Café and a meeting place Lobby Lounge. It also has an extensive modern hall which can accommodate 1500 guests at a time, dine 800 guests in one sitting and can be divided into three equal parts.
Dhaka Regency
Dhaka Regency is a new-generation business class hotel located on airport road in the capital. It is only a three-minute drive away from the airport. Along with the splendid hospitality, the hotel offers a host of other attractions such as 24-hour multi-cuisine dining, live performance bar lounge, Thai spa centre, health club and a Mediterranean hookah lounge. Dhaka Regency also has a limousine facility, business centre and swimming pool etc.
Ruposi Bangla
Ruposi Bangla (formerly Dhaka Sheraton Hotel) is a five-star hotel located in the centre of the capital, just 18 kilometres from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. It offers magnificent hospitality with facilities of shopping, recreation, entertainment and transportation.
Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel
Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel Dhaka has a comprehensive range of facilities and amenities. With its magnificent atmosphere the hotel provides guests wireless internet access in public areas, a business centre with board rooms and secretarial services. The hotel also has a pool area and health club.
The Westin Dhaka
Just eight kilometres far from the airport, The Westin Dhaka is a five-star hotel that offers guests homely hospitality. It has the facilities of transportation, business services, entertainment and high speed internet.
Hotel Sarina Dhaka
Hotel Sarina Dhaka is located in Banani of the capital. The hotel features 201 rooms and suites with impressive decoration. Dining outlets include Italian, Indian and international food items. The business centre is available to guests all the time and includes private meeting rooms, satellite video conferencing etc.
Platinum Suites
Platinum Suites, is located in Banani in the city, only ten kilometres from Shah Jalal International Airport and offers guest splendid hospitality, management and design. In addition to its varied flavour of foods the hotel offers access to fitness centre, limousine service on rental basis etc.
Arunima Countryside & Golf Resort
Arunima Countryside & Golf Resort, an agro-eco-sports & riverine resort, is located in Narail. The resort provides residences with traditional comfort. The beds of this resort are made of wood, bamboo or cane. There are some cottages made of wood known as Chalet. These south faced cottages that have a portion extended on a pond are adventurous places. The resort also has some floating cottages known as ‘Boat House’. It also provides a variety of delicious local and foreign foods. Horse and cart riding facilities are also available, along with a golf course, tennis court and other sports facilities.
THE PLACES A TOURIST CAN VISIT
To enjoy the beauty of the land, a tourist can visit places in Dhaka as well as other locations in the country.
Dhaka
Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, has a long history, heritage and culture of 400 years. Lalbagh Fort, Ahsan Manjil, National Botanical Gardens, Central Shaheed Minar and National Martyr’s Memorial are symbols of some of the history. Muslin is another historical pride of the city. Tourists can buy muslin from Narayangong, an hour drive from the heart of Dhaka. In the city there are some modern entertainment hubs like Nandan Park and Fantasy Kingdom. Nandan Park offers rides like cable car, water coaster, tilt-a-whirl, ice land, musical dancing fountain, wave pool etc.
Sonargaon
Sonargaon, the old capital of Bengal, is near Dhaka city and can be visited to relish the history of Bangladesh. It was the subsidiary capital of the Sultanate of Bengal. The tomb of Sultan Ghiasuddin (1399-l409 AD), the shrines of Panjpirs and Shah Abdul Alla and a beautiful mosque in Goaldi village are some of the ancient monuments which are still undamaged.
Mainamati
Mainamati, a place with remnants of Buddhist civilisation, is located in Comilla, 114 kilometres southeast of Dhaka. The place is a treasure trove of early Buddhist culture. It bears the existence of more than 50 ancient Buddhist settlements from the 8th to 12th century AD. The Mainamati site museum has a rich and varied collection of copper plates, gold and silver coins and 86 bronze objects. Over 150 bronze statues (mostly from the monastic cells), bronze stupas, stone sculptures and hundreds of terracotta plaques have been recovered, each measuring an average height of 9 ft and width of 8 to 12 ft.
Cox’s Bazar
Cox’s Bazar, the tourist capital of Bangladesh, has the longest unbroken sea beach sloping down to the blue waters of the Bay of Bengal, and is indeed a place to enjoy the spectacular beauty of nature. One can visit a number of other fascinating spots in Cox’s Bazar like Himchhari, Teknaf, Inani beach, Buddhist temple at Ramu and islands such as Sonadia, St Martin and Moheskhali.
Sundarbans
Located about 320 kilometres south-west of Dhaka, Sundarbans, the biggest mangrove forest in the world, are criss-crossed by rivers and creeks. Tides flow in two directions within the same creek in this forest, which is also home of the Royal Bengal Tiger. Deer, monkeys and snakes are among other wildlife in this forest.
Bandarban
Ninety two kilometres away from the port city Chittagong, Bandarban is surrounded by green hills, and is the home of tribes like Mogh, Murang, Marma who are famous for their own rituals and culture. The highest peak of Bangladesh Tajingdong is also located in this district.
Rangamati
Rangamati , the other hilly district of Bangladesh, is famous for its beautiful landscape. The tribal life, tribal museum, homespun textile products, hanging bridge are the unique attractions of the place.
Patuakhali
In Patuakhali, also known as sea queen, there is a beach where one can enjoy the unique opportunity of seeing both the sun rise and sun set. The beach is located at a distance of 70 km, from the district headquarters.
Kantanagar temple, Dinajpur
The century old Kantanagar temple is located near Dinajpur town, which was built by maharaja Pran Nath of Dinajpur in 1752. The temple is still considered the finest of its type of terracotta, built by local artisans.
Rajshahi
Rajshahi, the northern city of Bangladesh, bears the debris of glorious periods of Bengal’s Pala dynasty. It is famous for pure silk and mangoes. Verandra Research Museum at the heart of the city is a home of rich archaeological finds. There are also a number of ancient mosques, shrines and temples in and around Rajshahi.
Mahasthangarh
Mahasthangarh, 18 kilometres north of Bogra town, is the oldest archaeological site of Bangladesh established in 3rd century BC. The historical site is equipped with a fortified oblong enclosure measuring 5000 ft by 4500 ft, with an average height of 15 ft from the surrounding paddy fields. Beyond the fortified area there are several isolated mounds where there are Govinda Bhita Temple, Khodia Pathar Mound, Mankalir Kunda, Parasuramer Bedi and Jiyat Kunda surrounding the fortified city.
Paharpur
Paharpur is an archaeological site located in the greater Rajshahi district. Known as Somapura Mahavira, it was built by the Pala emperor Dharmapala (AD 770-810). The monastery is quadrangular, with a colossal temple with a cross-shaped floor plan in the centre of the courtyard and an elaborate gateway complex on the north. There are 45 cells on the north and 44 in each of the other three sides, making a total number of 177 monastic cells along the enclosure walls on the four sides.
Sylhet
Sylhet, the district of natural beauty, is famous for its tea gardens, orange groves and hills covered with tropical forests and beautiful landscapes. Srimangal in Sylhet, is the main tea centre of the area. The tea gardens are like green carpet over the hilly plains. Sylhet is also known as the land of the famous Muslim saint Hazrat Shah Jalal, the great torch bearer of Islam in the region. The shrine of this great saint is located in Sylhet town. Monipuri, Khasia and Garo tribes live in Sylhet. Sylhet is also well known for its wide variety of exquisite handicrafts of cane and bamboo. Jaflong is also a scenic spot nearby amidst tea gardens and the rare beauty of rolling stones down hills. Other places of interest in Sylhet include Moulvibazar, Janitipur, Madhabakunda and Haripur gas field.
THE SERVICE PROVIDERS
Guide Tours Ltd.
The Guide Tours Limited is a tour operator in Bangladesh that provides services to tourists to visit famous places across the country like in Dhaka city and around places like Mainamati in Comilla, Sonargaon, Manikgong, Munshigonj. It also arranges river cruise on the Shitalakkhya river. It offers tours in Sundarbans through its boats which takes tourists to different fascinating points of the forest. It also provides tour packages to tourist places in North Bengal, Sylhet, Srimongol, Bandarban and to the beaches and islands of the country, through different packages that include food, transport and lodging.
Galaxy Holidays Ltd.
Galaxy Holidays Ltd, a tour operating company, provides services to both inbound and outbound travellers. The operator arranges package tours in famous places in and around Dhaka and tourist spots of North Bengal. It also provides tours to different tourist places in Chittagong, Bandarban, Rangamati. It arranges river cruises in Padma, Meghna and Shitalakkhya rivers. It also arranges tours to Cox’s Bazarh, St Martin, Sonadia, and Moheshkhali island. To enjoy the beauty of Sundarbans, Galaxy Tours arranges visits through its boats to different points of the forest.
Bengal Tours Ltd.
This operator arranges trips to Sundarbans through its boats. Boarding on the boats it is possible to visit Kotka, a wildlife sanctuary of Sundarbans, through small creeks and canals to see the wildlife and feel the forest from very close.
-Article originally published on New Age
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]]>According to the results announced, the new seven wonders in alphabetic order are Amazon, Halong Bay, Iguazu Falls, Jeju Island, Komodo, Puerto Princesa Underground River and Table Mountain.
Voting closed at 5:00pm Bangladesh time yesterday and the preliminary results came out around 1:30am today, with the Sundarbans out of the top list.
The Sundarbans, extending across the Bangladesh and Paschimbanga coast, is known for its wide range of fauna and flora, including the famed Bengal Tiger but it failed to secure its position in the new seven wonders though it was among the 14 finalists.
The Swiss-based New Seven Wonders Foundation announced the competition in 2007, through which anyone around the globe could cast votes via phone calls, text messages or social networks on the internet.
The initiative is the first of its kind where global voting took place to pick the new wonders of nature. It may be noted that the seven wonders of the world, dating from ancient times, have historically held sway in the popular imagination.
Five days before the campaign ended, the 10 sites leading the poll were the Dead Sea, the Grand Canyon, the Great Barrier Reef, Halong Bay, Lebanon’s Jeita Grotto, South Korea’s Jeju Island, Indonesia’s Komodo Island, Puerto Princesa Underground River of the Philippines, the Sundarbans and Italy’s Mount Vesuvius.
More than 440 natural sites of 220 countries contested in the first round of the competition. The initial voting narrowed that list down to 77.
Two sites in Bangladesh — Cox’s Bazar, the world’s largest sea beach, and the Sundarbans, the largest deltaic mangrove forest in the world — were among the top 77.
Later, a panel of experts thinned the ranks to 28 finalists from 40 countries, with Cox’s Bazar going out of contention.
The recommendation of the panel was based on different criteria, including unique beauty, diversity and distribution, ecological significance, historical legacy and geo-location.
After the declaration of the list of 28 finalists on July 21, 2009, the panel’s job was done, and people were urged to vote for electing the top seven wonders.
The Sundarbans has been in a favourable position from the beginning.
Different government and non-government bodies, mobile operators and the media campaigned to vote for the Sundarbans. These efforts reached a peak in the last few days when a number of discussions, rallies and voting programmes took place in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country.
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]]>“If Bangladesh can get a place on the selection list of new seven wonders of nature, a revolution will take place in its economic sector, including tourism,” he said.
The state minister urged the countrymen to vote for the Sundarbans at a programme, organised by Bangladesh Workers’ Promotion Foundation and Khulna Divisional Somittee-Dhaka, in association with the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) at the intersection of TSC Dhaka University on Thursday.
Dr Hasan also said that he had no objection with ‘the process of selecting the seven wonders by a private organisation’.
Subscribers of any of the country’s mobile phone operators can vote for the Sundarbans, which is the world’s largest mangrove forest, he added.
“A total of 3,000 tigers are still alive in the whole world, among those 450 are available collectively in the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world” he said.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner Benazir Ahmed said, “The people of Bangladesh are courageous and they never accept defeat. General effort from all will ensure Sundarbans’ place on the list.” The Sundarbans has already reached a tip even prior to the beginning of SMS choosing by casting votes.
The leading seven natural wonders of the world are being elected through global poll under the guidance of Bernard Weber and the direction of Switzerland-based “The New 7 Wonders Foundation.” The voting process started in 2007 and will end in November 2011. Of the 440 noteworthy natural sites of the world, 28 were elected through polls by July 2009, of which the Sundarbans is one, and only 7 will be elected by November 2011.
The Sundarbans, on the southeast coast of the Bay of Bengal and comprising 10,000 square kilometers of Bangladesh and India, is the world’s largest mangrove forest, of which more than 60 per cent is located in Bangladesh.
It has exquisite natural beauty, and an incredible array of diverse flora and fauna.
There are 315 species of birds including 80 species of migratory birds.
There are 400 varieties of fish and crocodiles, turtles, tortoises and many other marine creatures. For this reason Unesco has rightly declared it as a World Heritage Site.
It is also the home of the world famous Royal Bengal Tiger. According to a survey of UNDP there are at present about 440 of them in the Sundarban. There are 35 varieties of reptiles, 42 varieties of mammals, 291 varieties of fish, 24 varieties of shrimps, 14 varieties of crabs, and 43 varieties of mollusks. Crocodiles, wild boars, monkeys, dolphins and wildcats are very often seen in this forest.
The presence of the rare species of spotted deer enhances the beauty of the Sundarban.
Prominent among the different categories of trees in the Sundarbans are ‘sundari’, “gheoa,” “goran,” “kewra,” “poshur,” “singra,” “khalsi” etc. The forest is called Sundarbans for the predominance of the beautiful “sundari” trees. Golpata and honey are also valuable assets of the Sundarbans. Sundarban provides livelihood to millions of people, and also acts as a shield for the coastal areas.
To vote for the Sundarbans, mobile phone subscribers have been asked to type ‘SB’ as message and then send it to 16333.
The New Seven Wonders Foundation will thank the voter through a return SMS.
-With The Independent input
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None of the two agreements signed between Bangladesh and India on conservation of the Sundarbans and Royal Bengal Tigers addresses the issue of increasing salinity that continues to affect the biodiversity of the mangrove forest on Bangladesh side. Salinity in Pashur, Sibsa and Raimongal rivers running through the Sundarbans has increased over the years, as flow of water in the Gorai river has decreased due to the Farakka barrage on the upstream.However, the agreement on biodiversity says none of the two countries will do anything that may have an adverse impact on biodiversity and ecosystem — one of the main obligations of the Convention on Biological Diversity, 1992.
Both Bangladesh and India are parties to the convention that obliges them to maintain natural water flow in river catchment areas to conserve regional ecology and biodiversity.
According to Article 3 of the convention, no country should take any step that may harm the biodiversity of another country.
Noted environmentalist Ainun Nishat said the flow of the Gorai river reduced drastically in 1975 resulting in a rise in salinity in the Sundarbans after the construction of the Farakka barrage in 1973.
Mentioning salinity as a major threat to biodiversity in the Sundarbans, Nishat, vice chancellor of Brac University, said this type of agreement cannot ignore the issue of salinity.
Asif Nazrul, an expert on water treaty, said, “The main issue regarding the Sundarbans should be adequate flow of water in rivers and canals. If India follows the convention, it should not disturb the natural flow of trans-boundary rivers.”
But the convention’s main spirit is absent in the agreement on conservation of the Sundarbans, a freshwater mangrove forest, he said.
The environment and forest ministry in its initial draft of the agreement on biodiversity mentioned the issue of ensuring flow of freshwater in the Sundarbans to protect its biodiversity, said a high-up of the ministry, preferring anonymity.
“But the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forest did not agree with the clause saying it is not in their jurisdiction,” said the official.
“They said if the clause is kept, the Indian Ministry of Water Resources has to be engaged in the process. In that case, it will take a longer time to reach a consensus over the issue.”
It is very crucial to conserve the biodiversity of the Sundarbans, as it is a transitional zone between freshwater from rivers and saline water of the Bay of Bengal, say experts.
The Sundarbans that stretches over an area of 10,000 square kilometres in the two countries is the habitat for more than 600 Royal Bengal Tigers. There have been reports that the tigers are being affected by rising salinity in water in the forest.
According to a report, nearly 20 million Sundari trees suffer from top dying — a disease resulted from increased salinity in water.
Some experts say Royal Bengal Tigers suffer from various diseases for drinking saline water. It has also caused a change in their behaviour.
Prof Anwarul Islam, coordinator of the Sundarbans Tiger Project in Bangladesh, said it should be studied properly how increasing salinity has been affecting Tigers in the mangrove forest.
“There is no detailed study on impacts of salinity on tigers. We should conduct a detailed study on this,” he said.
But the issue was left out of the recent agreement “Conservation of the Royal Bengal Tiger of the Sundarbans” that talks of exchange of forest personnel between the two countries for training and education purposes.
Officials say the deal would create scope for joint projects on scientific research on tigers and the Sundarbans ecosystem.
They say the agreement on conservation of Royal Bengal Tigers could help check poachers and illegal wildlife trade in the Sundarbans.
Forest officials said the protocol would ensure engagement of paramilitary border guards of the two countries in the protection of tigers and wildlife.
Poachers have been on the prowl for tigers in the Sundarbans for increasing demand for tiger flesh and bone that are believed to have medicinal properties.
According to the tenets of Chinese medicine, not only the skin but almost all parts of a tiger have medicinal properties.
In July, three poachers were arrested with four deer heads and 60 kilograms of venison in Bagerhat. They confessed to trading tiger hides.
On February 17, forest officials arrested a poacher with four tiger skulls, 138 bones and hides of three tigers in Bagerhat.
In 2009, Rab seized a tiger hide and arrested three people in Khulna.
At least 29 tigers have been beaten to death by locals since 2000 while some were found dead in the Sundarbans, show records of the forest department.
Courtesy of The Daily Star
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