Sundarbans open to fishermen, tourists now
Prof ABM Mosharraf Husain, Bagerhat :
With the three-month ban coming to an end, the Sundarbans has been opened to members of the public particularly mainly tourists and fishermen.
The door of the world biggest mangrove forests was opened on Friday to help the tourists enjoy the flora and fauna and for the fishermen to earn livelihood catching fish and crabs.
Earlier, the department concerned imposed the restriction on entering the Sundarbans from 1st June to 31st August this year.
The fishermen and those who living on the forests have already reached the Sundarbans along with their fishing boats, trawlers and other necessary materials. On the other hand, the list of the fishermen who became unemployed as a result of the ban was sent to the concerned ministry for food-help. But nothing has been done for the unemployedfishermen till date.
Sources with the forests department said the ban was imposed in order to increase the breeding of all kinds of wild animals and all spices of fishes including the crabs.
As a result, thousand of fishermen and those who involved with tourismbecame jobless and were forced to live a miserable life during the ban period.
Fishermen Rusta Ali, Jahangir, Bellal Hossain and some others hailing from Sharankhola Upazila in Bagerhat district said they had to endure a miserable life during the last 3 months for failing to catch fish from Sundarbans. Finding no other alternatives they were forced to borrow money from NGOs and money lenders at high interest rates for maintaining their families.
The affected fishermen urged upon the forest department to reduce the banning period from 3 months to 2 months to minimize their sufferings
Nazmul Azam David, Secretary of Touring Operations’ Association of Sundarbans (TOAS), told newsmen that though the band was imposed on the entrance of the tourists to the Sundarbans for long 3 months the visit of tourists to Karmjal Breeding Center of the wild animals was opened during the banning period.
He opined that the Sundarbans was not at all benefited from the three-month ban.
The secretary added that during the period the tourist operators incurred a heavy loss.
On the other hand, more than 1,500 poor people involved with the tourism industry as labourers had to encounter an inhuman life during the ban.
Shaikh Mahbub Hasan (ACF), officer-in-charge of Sharankhola Forest Range in the Eastern Division of Sundarbans (in Bagerhat district), said after ending the ban permits are being issued to the fishermen and tourists from Friday.
