Environmental organizations in the southwestern Bangladeshi port city of Mongla observed this year’s World Tiger Day, July 29, rallying behind the slogan, “Save Sundarbans, Save Tigers!” Mongla lies on the outskirts of the Sundarbans, the beautiful, large mangrove forest home to a sizable population of endangered Bengal tigers.
Mohammed Noor Alam Sheikh, convenor of the BAPA Mongla chapter and a Pasur river waterkeeper, presided over the human-chain session in the morning. Speakers at the Morning rally included Ahsan Habib Hasan and Abu Hossain Sumon, the president and the general secretary, respectively, of the Sundarbans Journalists’ Forum, Nazmul Huq, lyricist Mollah Al Mamun, Kamala Sarkar, Abdur Rashid Howladar, Alam Gazi, Bijon Kumar Boidya, Poshur River Waterkeepers (PSW) volunteers Maharuf Billah and Sheikh Russel, as well as other local leaders of BAPA.
Ahsan Habib Hasan, president of the Sundarbans Journalists’ Forum, presided over the “Save Tigers, Save Sunbarbans” symposium . Mohammod Noor Alam Sheikh from BAPA and PSW conducted the session. Those who spoke on the issue include Monirul Haider Iqbal and Amir Hossain Amu, the president and the general secretary of the Press Club, as well as Abu Hossain Sumon, general secretary of the Sundarbans Journalists’ Forum.
The central BAPA president Sultana Kamal presided over the afternoon webinar titled “The Story of the Tigers on the Tiger Day.” Sharif Jameel, BAPA general secretary and the coordinator of the Waterkeepers Bangladesh, started the webinar with a welcome address. The discussants in the webinar included Fariduddin Ahmed, central leader of BAPA, Dr Monirul Hasan Khan, professor of Zoology at Jahangirnagar University (JNU), M A Aziz, another esteemed professor at JNU, journalist Mohsin-ul-Hakim, a senior reporter from the Jamuna Television, Azad Kabir from the Koromjol Forest Animal Breeding Center, Mohammod Noor Alam Sheikh from BAPA, Mongla Chapter and Pasur River Waterkeepers, Belayet Sardar a forest dweller, and Nantoo Gazi from Joymoni Village Tiger Response Team.
