The government has declared a zero tolerance policy on wildlife-related crime, said Md Shahab Uddin, Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

To that end, he said, the Wildlife Crime Control Unit is working diligently to curb the illegal buying, selling, hunting, killing and trafficking of wildlife and to raise public awareness of wildlife conservation. In addition, every division and unit in the field is carrying out regular patrols to stop illegal extraction of forest resources.

He said this as chief guest at a discussion organised by the Forest Department on Monday (22 May) to mark International Biodiversity Day 2023, whose theme was "From Agreement to Action: Build Back Biodiversity".

The environment minister said the government has already signed the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Bangladesh Biodiversity Act 2017 has been enacted to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable use of its components. For biodiversity conservation and the free movement and breeding of wildlife, 25 wildlife sanctuaries, 20 national parks, two special biodiversity conservation areas, two marine protected areas, one botanical garden, three eco-parks and two vulture safe zones have been declared in different parts of the country.

Shahab Uddin said the government has declared 173,800 hectares of the Swatch of No Ground in the Bay of Bengal and 1,743 square kilometres around St Martin's Island as marine protected areas. This has made it possible to protect the aquatic biodiversity of this vast marine area by law. Ratargul, a swamp forest in the Sylhet region, and Altadighi in Naogaon have been declared special biodiversity conservation areas. The country also has two Ramsar sites and six flyway sites.

The forest minister said research on biodiversity is being funded. Work on the country's first red list of rare and endangered plant species is nearing completion. Several government-funded projects are under way to protect the Sundarbans, a haven of biodiversity, and "smart patrolling" has made the Sundarbans' biodiversity better protected. Fifty-two per cent of the Sundarbans has been included in wildlife sanctuaries, and alternative livelihoods have been created for local communities who depend on the forest.

He added that if plants or animals, key components of biodiversity, are harmed, the ecosystem will face disaster, and if biodiversity is endangered, human civilisation will suffer. "So, in our own interest, we must take the lead in conserving biodiversity. Everyone must commit to making biodiversity restoration more effective and dynamic," he said.

Special guests at the discussion included Habibun Nahar, deputy minister for environment, forest and climate change; Saber Hossain Chowdhury, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the ministry; ministry secretary Dr Farhina Ahmed; additional secretary Iqbal Abdullah Harun; and Dr Abdul Hamid, director general of the Department of Environment. Md Amir Hossain Chowdhury, chief conservator of forests at the Forest Department, presided.

In the morning, a colourful rally with people from various walks of life was held from Shahbagh to the TSC at Dhaka University.

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