Bagerhat Correspondent :
According to a primary assessment, the Sundarbans sanctuary mangrove forest caught the fire incidents for 40 (forty) times during the last 50 years alone. Out of them during the last 22 years this mangrove forest caught the fire 32 times. Consequently, the forest resources (trees) over more than hundred Bighas of lands were burnt to ashes. Last of all the fire was set on at Latiferchila within Amurbunia Patrol outpost under Chandpai Forest Range in the Eastern Sundarbans (in Bagehat district). The fire was set on at least more than 50 places on two kilometers area and the forest department, Fire Service, members of the Coastguards, police, air Force and the locals brought the fire under control after a long fighting for 47 hours. In spite of that (according to primary assessment done by the forest department) all the forest trees and other creeps and herbs on 7.9 acres of lands were burnt to ashes.
According to a survey done by the forest department, some 15 fire incidents were originated from the burning flambeaus and the burning ends of Biri/ cigarettes left by the Mawals (honey collectors) and the fishermen respectively. But the causes behind the rest fire incidents could not be traced out till the writing of this report.
On March 27 in the year of 2016 a number of greedy forest-earners set fire on the forest within Nangli Forest Campus within Dhansagar Forest Station under Chandpai Forest Range in Eastern Sundarbans (in Bagerhat district). After only 15 days of the incident on April 13 the greedy forest-earners set fire on the same place under the Eastern Sundarbans once again.
As a result, forest trees of 8.5 acres (forest) lands were burnt to ashes. In connection with those 2 fire incidents Md. Saidul Islam, the then DFO (Divisional Forest Officer) of the Eastern Sundarbans (In Bagerhat district) took an strong steps, identified the godfather Md. Shahjahan Hawladar and 6 other terrorists and lodged a case with the court against them.
It is learnt after talking with Dr. Md. Faridul Islam, Chairman of “Save the Sundarbans Foundation’, (that research on Sundarbans), Nur-e-Alam Shaikh, Convener of Bagerhat district branch of BPA (Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon) and the cross sections of people that the dead river Bhola that separates the Eastern Sundarbans from human habitations was dredged out those points which are closed to the human habitations a few years ago. But the dredged mud was placed to Sundarbans.
As a result, those points of Sundarbans (where dredged out mud was placed on those places) became elevated. So, the water of the rivers and canals of the forest cannot enter into those vast areas of the forest. Different kinds of creeps and bowers grew on the elevated lands and those areas become the homesteads for poisonous snakes and tigers.
During the rainy seasons at least big and small 28 water containers are formed with the rain water in those areas where huge quantities of sweet water fish like Koi 9cat fish), Shing and Magur are grown abundantly. In order to catch those fish from the natural water containers a number of local and influential people enter into the forest illegally, cast fishing nets in the water containers and catch the fish of sweet water in large scales and as the area are full of under-woods and winding plants. With a view to clearing their path they set fire on those under-woods and weeds in a preplanned way.
Kazi Md. Nurul Karin, DFO (Divisional Forest Officer) of the Eastern Sundarbans told, at last on May 04 Latiferchila within Amarbunia patrol outpost under the Eastern Sundarbans. The DFO added, in order to investigate into the matter 2 separate Committees were already formed. After the completion of the investigations causes behind the fire, the loss and change of biodiversity, environmental change and what steps would be done in future.
