DHAKA : Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo today stressed the need for protecting the Sundarban, the country’s lone natural habitat of Bengal tigers, aiming to protect the big cat spices.

“Conserving tigers means conserving the Sundarbans. If the Sundarbans is not protected, there will be no tiger,” he told a function at Ban Bhaban in the capital.

Bangladesh Forest Department, in association with IUCN Bangladesh, arranged the meeting marking the Global Tiger Day 2026.

Speaking as the chief guest, Mintoo said tiger conservation is urgent now to ensure environmental and ecological balance of the Sundarbans.

Highlighting the government’s initiatives to protect the country’s environment and biodiversity, he said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has commenced the National Green Mission to protect forests, wildlife, environment and biodiversity in the country.

He said as part of the government’s target to plant 25 crore saplings in five years, five crore of saplings will be planted in the country this year.

Noting that the tiger is the national animal of Bangladesh, the environment minister said once tigers were found in all forests of the country, but now the Sundarbans is the only habitat of the Bengal tiger.

He said the tiger is called the natural guard of the forest, while it plays a key role in maintaining food chain in the forest as a keytone species.
    
Mintoo said according to the IUCN, the tiger is a critically endangered species in the world. Once the big cat was found in 13 countries of the world, but it has now gone on extinct from the forests of Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos, he said.

He said in 1900, there was over one lakh tiger population in the world but now it stands at 5,574. He said the government has recently formed a 10-member commission to conserve safe habitats of wildlife and initiate awareness campaigns to this end.

He said the government is preparing a 10-year integrated resources management plan (2026-2035) to manage resources and wildlife in the Sundarbans.

At present, the minister said, work is underway to formulate the 10-year the National Tiger Recovery Programme. 

He said tiger population has increased in the Sundarbans due to various programmes taken by the Forest Department.
 
State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shaikh Faridul Islam said the incumbent government, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, is committed to protecting the country’s environment and forests, while the Forest Department is working to protect the Bengal tigers.

He said tiger-human conflict has minimised due to installing nylon net fencing in parts of the Sundarbans.

Chaired by Chief Conservator of Forests Amir Hosain Chowdhury, the meeting was addressed, among others, by Environment Secretary in charge Dr Fahmida Khanom, Country Representative for IUCN Bangladesh Bipasha Hossain, Wildteam Chief Executive Prof Anwarul Islam, Forest Conservator Imran Ahmed and Prof MA Aziz of Jahangirnagar University.