Sunamganj was once visited by about 219 species of birds that flew thousands of miles from as far as Siberia and other parts of the world. Of these, 98 species were migratory, 121 local and 22 ducks. Their calls filled this remote area, but year by year fewer birds have come. Over the past ten years the number of migratory birds in the haors has fallen by 85 per cent.

According to ornithologists and the IUCN, Tanguar Haor had about 219 species of local and foreign birds, including the globally endangered Pallas's fish eagle. Kalem, pankauri, bhuti hans, piyong hans and others should make up some 219 local and foreign species. But an IUCN survey in 2011 recorded 64,000 birds in Tanguar Haor, listing 86 local and 83 foreign kinds.

According to the Birds Club, the number of birds in Sunamganj's haors has fallen by 85 per cent in the past ten years. About 2 lakh migratory birds came to the district in 2015, 60,000 in 2018, 30,000 in 2022 and 43,000 in 2023. In 2024 only 23,000 came, the lowest in 15 years.

A visit to the haors of Sunamganj shows a blue sky, clear water and cool breezes all around. Against this, flocks of guest birds fly with white wings spread, from one end of a haor or beel to the other, sometimes diving into the clear water for food and sometimes chirping on the banks. The haors seem to have become a kingdom of birds.

Every year migratory birds travel thousands of kilometres to these haors and beels of Bangladesh in search of breeding grounds or winter shelter, moving from continent to continent for suitable weather, food and habitat. But now, with tourists moving freely through Tanguar Haor and every other haor in Sunamganj and bird hunters on the prowl, the birds' natural habitats are being destroyed and their valuable homes threatened.

Bird lovers in the district say human activity has steadily reduced the number of guest birds. If the administration takes strict action against hunting and trafficking and raises awareness, numbers will rise again, they say.

Local resident Al Mobarak told Jago News that the haors of Sunamganj were once a bird sanctuary, yet today the district is empty of migratory birds.

Local resident Tofayel Ahmed said birds used to be seen flying all around Tanguar Haor and the other 137 haors of Sunamganj, but that is now only the past.

Local resident Afaz Mia said unchecked hunting, tourists roaming Tanguar Haor and other haors, and noise pollution mean migratory birds are no longer seen in the district's haors. The local administration needs to be stricter to protect them, he said.

Local resident Sabbir Mia said that when migratory birds came to Tanguar Haor they used to eat many species of fish. Now there are neither fish nor birds there. Unchecked houseboat traffic, damaging biodiversity, has all but ended the breeding of birds and fish, he said.

Local resident Shafiq Mia said migratory birds are now afraid to come to Bangladesh's haor areas. Even after flying thousands of miles to survive, they fall into hunters' traps, so the birds have changed their destinations.

Birds Club member Salehin Chowdhury Shuvo said the haors would once again ring with birdsong if the district administration strictly enforced the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act 2012 to stop hunting and trafficking.

Sunamganj deputy commissioner Mohammad Ilias Mia told Jago News, however, that the administration is always alert and firm about protecting guest birds and is working round the clock to protect them.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.