The Land Ministry in a statement to The Daily Star on Wednesday said the "issue of leasing the Tanguar haor is under active consideration of the ministry" to keep off illegal en-croachers.

Arguing the decision to lease the 4.000 acre wetland the Land Ministry quoted a report by the deputy commissioner of Sunamganj that unless it is leased out soon before the monsoon water recedes it will be taken over by "creating serious law and order situation”

The ministry justified its decision saying that "the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MOEF) had sought the opinion of the Land Ministry to enlist the haor as a Ramsar site which is a time consuming affair."

But the "deputy commissioner (Sunamganj) has reported that the monsoon water is receding fast increasing possibility of illegal fishing in the haor. Besides it would be difficult to call a tender at a short notice to lease it out and it would also be difficult to evict the illegal occupants." the ministry said.

It gave a background detail of leasing process since 1985 and lermination .of it on February 16 this year. There had been court cases against it. one of them still pending before Sunamganj second sub-Judges court.

On March 3 the district administration called for tenders for lease but no one responded in six calls. On the seventh call there were two bids. The highest bidder Nur Hossain offered Tk 63.73.183. But the district administration cancelled the bid due to a court injunction and sent the proposal to the ministry for further decision.

Rashed Mosharraf. State Minister for Land Ministry told The Daily Star on Wednesday night that he believes on principle that the haor should be declared as a sanctuary for flora and fauna.

Rich in 25 species of flora and fauna including 17 endangered species of fish and Pallas's Eagle (listed as a critically endangered bird by the IUCN), the haor has recently been declared as an Ecologically Critical Area forbidding indiscriminate fishing and hunting.

The wetland is also home to Bangladesh's only swamp forest that plays a critical role in the haor eco-system.