Begum Habibun Nahar, Deputy Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has said that to love the Sundarbans one must love every tree and animal in it. Tigers play an important role in protecting the Sundarbans, so they must be protected, she said.

If there are enough wild boar and deer in the forest, tigers do not lack food and do not come into settlements, she added. "A tiger does not leave the forest for human settlements unless it lacks food. We must come forward to protect tigers."

The deputy minister was speaking as chief guest at a meeting organised by the tiger conservation project at the Kashiabad station compound in Koyra upazila, Khulna, on Friday, 20 October.

She said people who depend on the forest need a change of mindset. Dependence on the Sundarbans must be reduced, and they must take up alternative livelihoods.

Addressing forest-dependent people, she said: "The whole country is developing, so why should you still remain fishermen? You must change your profession and bring up your children properly. There is a lot of work to be done, and you must take up those professions."

Mihir Kumar Do, conservator of forests for the Khulna region, presided over the event, with Md Aktaruzzaman Babu MP as special guest. Dr Abu Naser Mohsin Hossain, divisional forest officer of the Sundarbans West Forest Division, gave the welcome address.

The event was conducted by Kashiabad station officer Nirmal Kumar Mondal and Baniakhali station officer Abu Sayeed. Others who spoke included Koyra upazila chairman SM Shafiqul Islam, Sundarbans East Forest Division DFO Kazi Md Nurul Karim, Khulna D Circle senior superintendent of police Saiful Islam, Khulna range assistant conservator of forests Hasanur Rahman and Koyra police station OC Mizanur Rahman.

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