KHULNA: Speakers at a tiger protection campaign here yesterday stressed the need for working together to save the 'Royal Bengal Tigers' and Sundarbans, the largest mangrove on the globe, reports BSS. With the theme 'Mother- like Sundarbans', the USAID organised a tiger saving campaign inauguration ceremony, with cooperation of 'WILD TEAM' and 'Forest Department of Bangladesh', at Ava Centre in the city. Under the Tiger Protection of Sunderbans and Awareness Campaign Project, the campaign has begun in 2015 and will end in 2018.
Vice-Chancellor of Khulna University (KU) professor Dr Md Fayek-uzzaman addressed the function as the chief guest while Conservator of Forest of Khulna Region Dr Sunil Kumar Kundu was in the chair. Khulna Police Super Md Habibur Rahman, Deputy Directors of Directorates of Social Welfare and Youth Development Sheikh Abdul Hamid and Khan Mahabub-uzzaman, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of World Life Management and Nature Protection Department Md Zahidul Kabir and DFO of Sundarban East Department Md Saidul Islam spoke as special guests. Among others, villagers adjacent to Sundarbans Sharmila Sarker, Abu Taleb and Abdul Wadud , also spoke and DFO of Sundarban West Zone Zaheer Uddin Ahmed delivered the welcome speech.
The speakers said all must cooperate with each other to protect the Sunderbans and tigers. "By working together, we can save the Sundarbans and its tigers, preserve them both as part of our heritage," they said. The chief guest suggested banning permission to 'bawoli' for tree collection as well as to 'mowal' for collecting honey from the Sundarbans periodically, to save tigers and bio-diversity. The government alone can't check poachers, he opined, adding that local people participation is a must to save tigers and Sundarbans. Over hundreds stakeholders of Sunderbans, NGO representatives, Forest officials and journalists attended the function.