special target=
Ramadan: Holiest cities Makkah, Madinah flooded with Umrah visitors
Muslim devotees from across the world are coming into Saudi Arabia in large numbers taking advantage of the holy month of Ramadan contributing to huge crowd at the two holiest cities- Makkah and Madinah.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is witnessing a growing number of Umrah pilgrims from countries around the world, including from Bangladesh, since the beginning of Ramadan.
Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, offers the best weather, and this holy month, dedicated to prayer, self-reflection, and religious devotion, also traditionally marks the peak season to perform Umrah.
Though Makkah is well-known for its excessive hot days, surprisingly, this March offers a pleasant weather.
Thousands of Muslim devotees offered their Jummah prayers at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah on Friday (March 15), the first Jummah of Ramadan.
All the floors of the Grand Mosque and its adjacent courtyards were full of devotees, and the rows of devotees spilled over to the streets of the Central Haram area.
Many of the Muslims offered Jummah from their respective hotels, which are connected with the Grand Mosque through audio transmission.
Meanwhile, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman approved hosting 1,000 Umrah pilgrims from countries around the world during the year 2024.
The guests representing the fourth and final batch of 2024, which includes 250 prominent Islamic Umrah pilgrims, male and female, representing 16 countries from the continents of Europe and Asia, are visitng the kingdom to perform Umrah.
Read more: Saudi Arabia offers Nusuk platform for Bangladeshi visitors to increase accessibility and simplify Umrah Journey
Islamic scholars, journalists, students, and influencers like the founder and CEO of 10 Minute School, Ayman Sadiq; and author, speaker, English teacher Munzereen Shahid are among the Bangladesh delegation members.
"To be honest, I feel so lucky. I knew about the stories of these historical places. Now I had the opportunity to see in my own eyes," said Munzereen Shahid.
She said there is no language barrier or cultural divide here.
"I see an extraordinary unity among people. I have a desire to come again," said Munzereen who performed her first Umrah together with her husband Ayman Sadiq.
"Had the honor of visiting the King Fahd Quran Printing Complex in Madinah, where millions of copies of the Holy Quran are printed every year. Madinah is peaceful," Ayman shared his experience of visiting the historic place in Madinah before performing Umrah.
Talking to UNB, Musa Takai from New Zealand said, "It is quite unimaginable. I am grateful to Almighty Allah first and then to the Royal family for giving us this opportunity to perform Umrah."
Musa expressed his sincere thanks and great appreciation to the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques and the crown prince for graciously hosting him to perform Umrah.
He added that the kingdom always provides care and attention to the guests of Allah providing integrated services and stressed that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Umrah and Visitation Program is a wonderful model.
Rationalisation of tax expenditures on cards for maximum benefits: Official document
The government has opted for rationalising tax expenditures which will play a useful role in collecting more revenue and ensuring forgone revenue (indirect public expenditure) is made to good use, according to an official document.
According the Medium Term Macroeconomic Policy Statement (2023-24 to 2025-26) of the Finance Division of the Finance Ministry, the collection of sufficient and accurate data would be the next step for which interagency cooperation would be essential.
“To initiate tax expenditure analysis the first step would be to clearly define the benchmark tax rate and base for income tax and VAT,” said the paper made available to UNB this week.
It is also necessary to create an exhaustive list of all different types of benefits and preferences given in VAT, income tax and customs.
The statement said that given Bangladesh’s low tax-GDP ratio, how much revenue is collected or lost and whether revenue collection growth is in tandem with GDP growth are important considerations to financing development and investment plans of the government.
The government allows various tax benefits to meet social or economic objectives, to spur growth in certain sectors or to attract investment.
“One tool that can be used to estimate forgone revenue is tax expenditure assessment,” it said.
Tax expenditures are estimates of amounts of revenue not collected due to preferential tax treatment relative to a benchmark (or reference) tax system, which is supposed to be developed on principles of neutrality, efficiency, and equity. Coverage of tax expenditures is wider than tax exemptions and includes tax exemptions, reduced tax rates, tax credits, tax holidays, tax allowances, tax deferrals etc.
Tax expenditure estimates help to identify potential avenues to ramp up revenue collection and increase transparency in the tax system by analysing the cost-benefit analysis of different special tax treatments.
Many countries have made tax expenditure assessments a part of their yearly budgetary exercise, it added.
Although Bangladesh is yet to formally start making tax expenditure estimates, the National Board of Revenue made a modest start in 2021 by conducting a tax expenditure analysis for the personal and corporate income taxes on a pilot basis. Despite a small sample size and methodological limitations, the findings of that analysis were significant: about 36 percent of GDP in 2018-19 FY was excluded from direct taxes, which translated to roughly Tk 58,000 crore worth of forgone taxes.
If one adds tax expenditure on the transfer of land, a major item under capital gains which is not covered in GDP calculation, another Tk 8,000 crore is lost as forgone revenue.
The figures added up to approximately 2.6 percent of GDP for FY2018-19.
Although tax expenditures are granted to meet certain desired social and economic objectives such as employment generation, greater access to health and education, reduced inequality, tax expenditure assessments shed light on the need to understand the tradeoff between accrued benefits and loss of revenue.
In the case of VAT, the Medium Term Macroeconomic Policy Statement (2023-24 to 2025-26) said that several sectors such as agriculture, livestock, fisheries, education, public administration, defence, and social work activities (total 21.2 percent of GDP) are outside the purview of value-added tax.
In the case of manufacturing, many industries including light engineering, household electrical goods & consumables, medicine, computer items and peripherals, export-oriented industries etc. are given preferential treatment to promote local industries, export growth and to attract investment. That’s another 23 percent of GDP.
At the retail and wholesale stage (15 percent of GDP) a substantial part is VAT exempt. A significant part of transportation services (7.5 percent of GDP) has been kept intentionally outside the VAT net to make transport costs affordable to the common masses.
At the Revenue Conference of the National Board of Revenue last year, a presentation estimated that no VAT is collected on goods and services on almost 50 percent of Bangladesh’s GDP.
Although Customs’ contribution to revenue collection may decrease in the future, it still contributes a significant portion to the government exchequer.
A closer look at the composition of Bangladesh’s imports in FY 2020-21 reveal that 15 percent of all imports were done by 100 percent export-oriented bonded factories, 7.4 percent by factories in Export Processing Zones (EPZs) and 19.8 percent of all imports benefitted from special tax treatment under SROs/orders.
In total, no customs duty was collected on 42.3 percent of total imports during FY 2020-21.
Ambitious targets: Govt aims to collect Tk 5872 billion and Tk 7097 billion revenue in FY 2024-25, FY 2025-26
The government of Bangladesh has set ambitious revenue collection targets for the fiscal years 2024-25 and 2025-26, aiming to gather Tk 5872 billion and Tk 7097 billion, respectively. The strategy hinges on enhancing digitalization and simplifying tax procedures for both businesses and individuals.
The focus will be on direct taxes and VAT to raise more revenue. In addition to expanding the tax net and increasing the capacity of tax officials, exercises will be carried out to rationalise the current culture of widespread tax exemptions and to bring in heightened transparency in the budgetary discourse.
As per the Medium Term Macroeconomic Policy Statement (2023-24 to 2025-26) of the Finance Division of Finance Ministry, some Tk 5343 billion will come from the tax revenue sector in 2024-25 fiscal and Tk 6463 billion in 2025-26.
In the next two fiscal years, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) will provide Tk 5095 billion and Tk 6171 billion.
From the Income Tax wing, the projected collection will be Tk 1753 billion for the next fiscal, and Tk 2123 billion for 2025-26 fiscal. Collection from the import duties will be Tk 1511 billion and Tk 1830 billion respectively.
Tk 16.8cr in 4 days: AL revenues from nomination forms outpace toll collection from megaprojects
From VAT and Supplementary Duties, the revenue collection will be Tk 1831 billion and Tk 2218 billion respectively.
The non-NBR tax for 2024-25 and 2025-26 will be Tk 248 billion and Tk 292 billion respectively. Non-tax revenue collection will be Tk 529 billion and Tk 634 billion respectively.
The target for the running 2023-24 fiscal is Tk 5000 billion with Tk 4500 billion from tax revenue. Of the total amount, Tk 4300 billion will come from NBR through Tk 1480 billion from income tax, Tk 1275 billion from import duties, Tk 1545 billion from VAT and Supplementary duties. Some Tk 200 billion will be collected from the non-NBR sector while Tk 500 billion from non-tax revenue sector.
According to the Medium Term Macroeconomic Policy Statement, revenue outturns estimated for 2023-24 and projection for the next two years show high elasticity and buoyancy, implying robustness in revenue mobilisation in the medium term.
It mentions that among the tax and non-tax parts of the revenue, the tax revenue is forecasted to be more buoyant and elastic than the non-tax part.
Read more: Tax automation would generate more revenue collection: DCCI President
The elasticity data shows that the overall revenue is projected to grow 1.65 times higher than the nominal GDP in FY 2025-26.
As per the statement, the revenue elasticity of GDP for the 2023-24 fiscal is 1.28 times higher than the last fiscal while it is projected to be 1.40 times higher in the next 2024-25 fiscal year.
The tax revenue elasticity of GDP will be 1.33 times higher in the current fiscal while it will be 1.50 times higher in the next fiscal and 1.66 times higher in 2025-26 fiscal year.
The non-tax revenue elasticity of GDP for the running fiscal will be 0.92 times higher in the current fiscal, 0.47 times higher in the next fiscal year, and 1.57 times higher in 2025-26 fiscal year.
On the other hand, the buoyancy indicates that, in FY 2025-26 the tax revenue in real terms may grow 98 percent higher than the growth of real GDP.
The Policy Statement mentions that the revenue mobilisation acts as a catalyst to achieve the development outcomes of a country. Bangladesh has envisioned its long-term development trajectory to be a higher middle-income country in 2031 and to be a developed country in 2041.
Read more: Increase revenue, quality of services at airports: Faruk Khan tells CAAB
In addition to these aspirations, the ‘Perspective Plan of Bangladesh 2021-2041’ has targeted to raise the revenue- GDP ratio to 19.55 percent by 2031 and to reach 24 percent by 2041.
The statement says that the spectacular growth Bangladesh registered in the last decades, however, has not been underpinned by concomitant revenue growth. A large share of the revenue comes from the direct (income tax) and indirect taxes (VAT and customs) collected by the National Board of Revenue (NBR). Non-NBR taxes and Non-Tax Revenue (NTR) consists of smaller parts.
It said that there is a need to identify the reasons for low revenue collection to move onto the essential next step to correct the course. It is important to understand various issues such as the economic structure (large informality and exemptions), structural weaknesses (complicated processes and information asymmetry), and cultural factors (apathy towards paying taxes) that contribute to significant underperformance in revenue collection.
The government, the policy statement said, with the support of private sector operators, is keen to make paying taxes easy, tax rules easy to understand and rationalise tax exemptions.
Success in revenue collection will be strengthened by making the tax administration easy to approach, increasing digitalization to bring in transparency and predictability and bringing in progressivity in taxation where rich people pay a higher part of the taxes, it added.
Revenue collection up by 14.36 percent in July-October, but behind target: NBR
As Ramadan is about to begin, prices of essentials high in Khulna kitchen markets
Amid the government’s assurance to keep the prices of daily essentials stable during the month of Ramadan, some unscrupulous businessmen are still active in the market.
The price of necessary commodities including dates, pulse, chickpeas, oil, sugar and onion are selling at high prices.
Besides, chicken and beef are also selling at high prices, complained locals.
Expressing frustration, some local people said that the government has committed to keep the daily essentials at a tolerable level but there has been no visible action. All the items are selling at high prices.
Within a span of two months, the prices of chickpeas, puffed rice, dates, pulses, flour, and mustard oil have increased by Tk 10-300 per kg in different markets.
On the other hand, the price of psyllium husk has increased by Tk 500 per kg.
Besides, prices of Ramadan essentials including potato, coriander leaves, mint leaves, Tang, Rooh Afza have also increased unnecessarily, consumers say.
How the record hike in fuel prices manifested in Dhaka’s kitchen markets
No concrete bridge for 20,000 inhabitants in Feni, Noakhali for over 22 years
About 20,000 residents of Sonagazi upazila of Feni and Companiganj upazila of Noakhali district are in distress as no concrete bridge has been constructed over the Chhoto Feni River at Kazirhat since it collapsed 22 years back.
The bridge, collapsed in 2002 due to high tide, was the only mean of crossing it for the people of two upazilas of Feni and Noakhali districts.
Despite promises from public representatives and political leaders, the bridge has not been built even after 22 years.
Sources said a Regulator-cum-bridge with 20 gates was built over the Chhoto Feni River in 1961-62 at Kazirhat in Sonagazi upazila during Pakistan era to protect the coastal areas of the district from tidal surge.
Read more: Focus on rural dev along with infrastructure: PM Hasina tells ECNEC
The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) got the task of management and repair work of the regulator.
WAPDA conducted maintenance work till 1970 and later it was renamed as Water Development Board.
Entry-level women's recruitment doubles in banking sector, but board representation still lagging
The women employment in the banking sector increased by 1407 in July-December period of 2023, and the overall perrcentage of women employees at banks stood at 16.37 percent in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile just 13.51% of board members in the banks are women.
Bangladesh Bank’s (BB’s) latest report on gender equality revealed this information. There are 33346 women employees in 61 banks in the country, which is 16.37 percent of the total employees of banks, according to the report.
The BB report shows that among the scheduled banks in 2023, 43 private commercial banks have the highest number of women employees 22,248, which is 16.32 percent of the total employees.
Foreign commercial banks have the highest proportion of female officers, 24.18 percent as compared to other banks.
In the period July-December 2023, the participation of women as board members was only 13.51 percent. Among them, foreign commercial banks have the highest female board member participation rate at 17.54 percent.
Read more: Bangladesh's women empowerment showcased in Myanmar
On the other hand, there is no participation of women board members of specialized commercial banks in the discussed period.
According to the reports submitted by banks during the period July-December 2023 shows that the participation rate of women employees is higher at the entry-level 17.04 percent and mid-level 15.79 percent than at the higher levels 9.36 percent.
Analysis of the obtained data shows that the participation of women in the banking sector is high at the initial stage.
At the same time, the participation rate of female employees under thirty years of age 20.99 percent is more than double that of female officers above 9.58 percent in scheduled banks.
Bangladesh’s place has improved by 12 steps in the gender gap report of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2023, as women's employment increased in the country.
The BB report shows that Bangladesh is holding the 59th position in 2023 improving from 71st in 2022 in the gender gap of WEF, among 146 countries in the world.
Read more: PM Hasina keen to create more scopes for women in every sector: Nasrul Hamid
Executive Director of CDP Dr. Fahmida Khatun said that women's employment is usually increasing with the developing socio-economic scenario of the country and decreasing the ratio of women's employment does not match that calculation.
She focused on the need to study why the ratio of women employment has been decreasing in the banking sector.
Bangladesh Bank’s spokesperson Mezbaul Haque told UNB that women's employment has increased in the banking sector following the central bank’s policy to reduce the gender gap in banks and financial institutions.
The central bank prefers women both in employment and entrepreneurship development. Loan disbursement and interest incentives have been given to women encouraging them involved in financial inclusion.
The BB is still working to ensure a sound environment in the workplace of banks. Facilities including maternity leave and daycare opportunities for women’s employees have increased, he said.
Read more: Proven Passive Income Ideas for Women in 2024
Off year for mangoes in Chapainawabganj? Farmers fear potential loss
Mango farmers in Chapainawabganj district are bracing for potential losses this season, with significantly fewer buds observed on trees, particularly affecting larger trees amid challenging weather conditions.
This year's reduced bud bloom could mark the season as a mango-off year, a phenomenon where production alternates annually between high and low yields due to natural growth cycles and external factors.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources indicate that cold weather is to blame for the decreased number of mango buds in the district. However, there is optimism that warmer temperatures could encourage more buds to bloom.
Off-season Gourmoti mangoes could be profitable for Thakurgaon
The region, known for its extensive mango orchards spanning 37,604 hectares, produced 443,625 metric tonnes of mangoes last year. Mango bud formation typically occurs from early Magh to mid-Falgun, but this year's expected bloom has been hampered by the prevailing cold.
Mango farmer Abdur Rakib from Chapainawabganj municipality notes that diligent tree care can yield better bud production, even in an off year. Yet, the cost of cultivation might outweigh profits due to the reduced number of buds. Rakib also highlights the risk of natural calamities, which could further impact growers already facing low bud counts.
Fire safety: How safe are the restaurants in Dhaka’s upscale areas?
In the heart of Dhaka’s upscale neighbourhoods – Dhanmondi, Gulshan, and Banani – a burgeoning restaurant scene thrives within the confines of multi-storey buildings. This rapid expansion, however, brings to light grave concerns over fire safety practices, or the lack thereof. Many of these dining establishments lack comprehensive fire safety measures, relying solely on elevators and a solitary staircase for emergency exits. This inadequate infrastructure places patrons and employees in a precarious position, with their safety hanging in the balance.
Conversations with residents of these areas shed light on these alarming realities, further underscored by the recent tragedy on Bailey Road, which has sown seeds of fear and apprehension among diners. The indiscriminate sprouting of restaurants, many of which have been operating without fire safety licenses for years, exacerbates the risk. These establishments, often housed in structures originally intended for residential use, now serve commercial purposes, thereby complicating the fire safety landscape.
This issue is not confined to a few isolated cases; nearly every alley in these areas is lined with cafes and restaurants, with some buildings entirely dedicated to these businesses. The architectural design, characterised by an extensive use of glass, restricts the inflow of air, and in the event of a fire, leaves breaking the glass as the only means to combat the flames.
The structural layout presents further challenges for emergency evacuation. Narrow staircases, cluttered or locked, significantly hinder the ability of patrons to evacuate safely in case of an emergency, turning what should be a straightforward escape route into a potential trap.
Read more: Why Fire Safety Audit is Essential for Commercial Buildings
The fear of fire is not an abstract concern for the residents of Gulshan and Banani. Moniruzzaman, a businessman from Gulshan, and Didarul Haq Sunny, another businessman from Banani, voiced their apprehensions about dining out in the post-Bailey Road fire era.
“There’s a prevailing fear of taking families to restaurants in the Gulshan-Banani area, as it’s unclear which establishments have fire safety measures,” Moniruzzaman said. Didarul mentioned ceasing restaurant visits after the Bailey Road tragedy, citing fire safety as a major concern.
Their concerns highlight a critical demand for Dhaka’s development authority, RAJUK, to enforce and oversee rigorous fire safety standards across all restaurants.
Professor Dr. Adil Muhammad Khan, President of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), echoed these sentiments. He pointed to the widespread practice of converting entire buildings into dining spaces, enveloped in glass, which fundamentally compromises fire safety protocols. The aftermath of the Bailey Road tragedy has left a palpable sense of urgency among citizens and experts alike, calling for immediate action from RAJUK and other relevant authorities to mitigate the risk of future incidents.
Read more: Petition filed seeking closure of restaurants in residential buildings
Dr. Adil advocated for detailed inspections of fire safety equipment, such as fire extinguishers and alarms, and insisted on comprehensive safety audits for all multi-storey and specially purposed buildings.
Despite existing regulations mandating two staircases in buildings, the reality on the ground reveals a stark misuse of these provisions, with designated fire exits often repurposed as storage areas. This blatant disregard for safety norms necessitates a stringent enforcement of building codes and fire safety regulations.
RAJUK’s Chairman, Anisur Rahman Mia, acknowledged the challenges at hand, committing to a series of actions aimed at identifying and rectifying establishments lacking in fire safety measures. He drew attention to the widespread issue of illegal commercial activities within residential buildings, underscoring RAJUK’s dedication to enforcing legal and safety standards.
With over 517,000 buildings under its jurisdiction in Dhaka, of which only 200,000 are approved, RAJUK faces a daunting task. An astonishing 90% of the approved buildings deviated from their original designs, complicating the enforcement of fire safety and building codes, the public agency says.
Read more: A city of fire traps: Decades of tragedies in Dhaka expose systemic failures
A city of fire traps: Decades of tragedies in Dhaka expose systemic failures
In Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, the history of fire incidents stretches back decades, with each tragedy laying bare the systemic failures of monitoring and enforcement by the authorities.
The recurrence of these incidents, resulting in loss of lives and property, highlights a persistent cycle of negligence and a lack of proper supervision by the concerned agencies, including the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) and the Fire Service and Civil Defence.
This pattern was tragically underscored by the recent blaze at a building housing several restaurants on Bailey Road, which claimed 46 lives, marking yet another dark chapter in Dhaka’s ongoing saga of preventable disasters.
The Bailey Road catastrophe is not an isolated incident but a continuation of Dhaka’s grim legacy of fire tragedies. Experts point to a systemic lack of accountability and supervision, with buildings across the capital flouting fire safety norms and regulations.
Read more: Firefighters faced difficulties dousing fire at Krishi Market due to overcrowding: Fire Service Director
The construction of these structures often violates directives from the Fire Service and Civil Defence, lacking essential fire prevention measures such as alarms, adequate water supplies, and fire extinguishing systems.
The result is a cityscape riddled with potential fire traps, posing a constant threat to its inhabitants.
Professor Dr. Adil Muhammad Khan, President of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), asserted that the frequent fires could be significantly reduced if the authorities took decisive action against those responsible for the lax approval and supervision of building constructions, and against building owners who neglect fire safety standards.
Dr. Khan emphasised that accountability must extend to RAJUK, the building owners, and even the tenants who, fully aware of the risks, continue to occupy these unsafe spaces.
Bailey Road Fire: 4 inc. Kacchi Bhai’s manager remanded for two days
The recurrence of fire incidents is further compounded by the failure to follow up on investigations after each tragedy. Dhaka has borne witness to several catastrophic fires, including those at Nimtoli, Churihatta, FR Tower, Armanitola, New Market, Moghbazar, and the latest disaster at Bailey Road. These incidents share common threads: mismanagement, the utilisation of risky multi-storied buildings, and a glaring lack of proper supervision, with many buildings operating without the requisite approvals from RAJUK and other regulatory bodies.
Despite repeated pledges from various quarters to transform Dhaka into a risk-free city, these promises have largely gone unfulfilled. Each tragic fire fades from public memory, only to be replaced by the next, in a seemingly endless cycle of devastation. This cycle is exacerbated by the mixed use of residential and commercial buildings, which Dr. Khan identified as a critical risk factor propelling the capital towards further disaster.
An example of this perilous overlap is the Green Cozy Cottage Building on Bailey Road. Despite approvals specifying that only the ground through fourth floors could be used commercially, with the fifth and sixth floors designated for residential purposes, the building predominantly housed restaurants, a clear breach of urban planning and building laws.
Dr. Khan advocated for treating such egregious violations, like the Bailey Road fire, as criminal acts, attributing them to the negligence of RAJUK and other service agencies.
Read more: Why Fire Safety Audit is Essential for Commercial Buildings
The aftermath of the Bailey Road tragedy has seen calls for comprehensive measures, including the online registration of buildings with detailed usage information, and the public display of notices issued by the government against non-compliant building owners.
Ashraful Islam, the project director of the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) of RAJUK, clarified that the Bailey Road building was authorized only for office use, not for restaurants and showrooms, underscoring the illegal operations that contributed to the tragedy.
Fishermen return to crab collection in Sundarbans after a 2-month ban
Fishermen have resumed collecting crabs in the Sundarbans following the conclusion of a two-month government-enforced ban designed to safeguard the breeding season of crabs.
The ban, aimed at ensuring the sustainability of the crab population, ended last Thursday at midnight, with fishermen from coastal regions such as Mongla, Rampal, and Dakope seen entering the forest on Sunday with necessary equipment for crab collection.
The hiatus, necessitated by the breeding season of crabs in January and February, saw the issuance of pass-permits by the forest department halted. With the ban lifted, permits are once again being distributed, allowing the fishermen to legally collect crabs from the Sundarbans' extensive network of rivers and canals.
Climate change makes a decline in forest density in Sundarbans’ water bodies: Study
Spanning 6,017 sqkm in Bangladesh, including 1,874.1 sqkm of aquatic areas, the Sundarbans are home to 450 rivers and canals, along with 14 species of crabs.
To protect these species, certain canals have been designated as sanctuaries, with restrictions on crab collection in canals narrower than 25 feet enforced year-round.
Approximately 15,000 fishermen, equipped with valid forest department passes, depend on crab collecting within the non-restricted areas of the Sundarbans for their livelihood. The annual ban, instituted following the establishment of crab export guidelines, seeks to balance economic needs with environmental conservation.
Sundarbans Day in southwestern region on Feb 14; a clarion call to love, save the forest
Anisur Rahman, a crab collector from Joymoni in Mongla, highlighted the financial hardships faced by the fishermen due to the ban, pointing out the lack of governmental assistance during this period. Despite the ban's intent, there have been reports of illegal crab collection during the breeding season, undermining conservation efforts.
Mihir Kumar Doe, the forest Conservator of the Khulna region, confirmed that legal crab collection could resume in designated areas from March 2, with forest guards instructed to enhance patrolling to prevent illegal activities.
Additionally, strict guidelines have been put in place for the transportation of crabs, with divisional actions promised against violators.
This move to resume crab collection comes as a relief to many fishermen reliant on the trade, while the forest department remains vigilant against practices that could harm the Sundarbans' ecological balance.