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Call to protect biodiversity of Sundarbans

STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Indifferent attitude of the government and over-commercial attitude of businessmen have put the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world, under threat through destruction of its biodiversity, speakers at a discussion said yesterday.
The forest has now turned into a den of criminals and looters backed
by the political parties and the businessmen, they said.
The speakers called on the civil society, media men and nongovernment organisations to come forward to protect the biodiversity of the forest.
The Prokirti Foundation in association with the Rupantar, a Khulnabased NGO, organised the discussion in the capital, with the slogan 'My Sundarbans, My Pride'.
Inefficiency of the forest guards and officials, the forest department's indifferent attitude to the conservation of biodiversity and the unbridled greed of the businessmen are posing a serious threat to the Sundarbans, said Rahul Raha, a reporter of ATN Bangla.
"On the one hand, the original inhabitants, who do no harm to the forest but love and try to protect it, have been evicted in the name of biodiversity and on the other, the outsiders, who only consume the resources of the forest, are replacing them," he said.
Md Noor Alam, a leader of Save the Mongla Port Committee, said there are many canals in the forest, but its aquatic resources are being disappeared because of lack of sweet water and illegal fishing.
Trees and different species of animals are gradually becoming extinct because many people fell more trees than the number of trees the forest department allowed them to cut on contract, he said.
Ruhin Hossain Prince, a leader of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), said the destruction of biodiversity is a loss not only for the country but also for the world as it has been declared the world heritage site.
Saifuddin Sabuj, chairman of the Prokirti Foundation, said, "To protect the humanity and the earth, we have to protect our environment. Otherwise, only wealth will not bring any good to us."
He urged the government to declare February 14 the Sundarbans Day to raise awareness about the Sundarbans as well as environment.
Jamil Ahmed, a media expert, Shamimul Islam of the Society for Human Development, Iqbal Kabir of Bangladesh Environment Lawyers' Association and Amit Ranjan Dey of WVB also spoke.