DHAKA : State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salahuddin Tuku today called upon all concerned to raise mass awareness to conserve world life including tiger.

In this connection, he stressed the need for developing mentally among the new generation to conserve wildlife.

The state minister said this while talking to media following a rally organized by the Bangladesh National Zoo authority in Mipur here marking the International Tiger Day-2026.

“Tiger is one of the most important wildlife in the world and an important part of the biodiversity”, the state minister said.

He said narly 100 years ago, the number of tiger population in the world was around 100,000 while it now declines to nearly 5,000. The statistics are clearly indicating that the important wild species are now facing serious threat.

Tuku, however, expressed concern that if we do not take effective measures to protect tiger immediately then the existence of the particular species would face critical situation in future.

Even the country’s only mangrove forest Sundarbans have only 124 tigers while another 15 tigers are in the Bangladesh National Zoo and other 50 in different Zoos across the country.

As the tiger is our national property, so the government will take necessary steps to protect this endangered wild animal to that the future generation can know about the tiger and realize the importance of conservation of the animal.

About tiger census and its transparency, the state minister said the tiger census is carried out under the supervision of the forest department. It is not the responsibility of the ministry of fisheries and livestock.

He, however, said the forest department is conducting the programme in their own process with maintaining transparency. Later, the state minister inaugurated the souvenir shop at the national zoo premises.

Fisheries and Livestock Secretary M Delwar Hossen, Director General of the Department of Livestock Services (DLS) M Shahjaman Khan, Bangladesh National Zoo Director Dr M Shahinur Alam, Zoo Curator Dr M Habibur Rahman, Bangladesh Animal Welfare Association’s Convener Adnan Azad and officials of the ministry and zoo as well were present.