When tiger populations the world over have been witnessing declines, Environment and Forest Minister Anwar Hossain Manju yesterday said the number of tigers is increasing in Sundarbans, as here tigers are much safer than before, reports UNB.

"The country is moving forward under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina. We have some tiger conservation programs of our own. Tigers are very safe in the Sundarbans, where their number is not decreasing but rather increasing," Manju said, without mentioning the source for the outlandish claim.

All existing studies of the tigers' numbers in the Sundarbans - credible or otherwise - have said it is declining, some indicating alarmingly. The minister came up with this remark while addressing a seminar marking the World Tiger Day at the district council auditorium in Bagerhat.

Mentioning that, the government is no more dependent on foreigners for the Sundarbans' protection and has undertaken many programs on its own, Manju said that, smart patrolling funded by foreigners has been halted by the government to protect the mangrovenow the smart patrolling is running on government's own fund.

On the other hand, Director of Tiger Monitoring Survey and Forest Conservator of Khulna, Amir Hossain Chowdhury said, photographing Satkhira range of the forest has been completed through camera trapping process and now the photographs are being analyzed in lab.