Firefighters successfully brought 95% of the fire under control by Monday afternoon after it broke out in the Shapla Beel area of the Sundarbans on Sunday. Despite the progress, sporadic flames and smoke were still visible at the base of several trees, said Sakria Haider, Deputy Assistant Director of Bagerhat Fire Station. The firefighters began dousing the flames with water from the Bhola River around 1 pm on Monday. Previously, efforts had been hindered due to a water shortage, and responders were waiting for the evening tide to assist in the operation, Haider added. Authorities expect to fully extinguish the fire by Monday night. So far, five acres of forest land have been destroyed. Alongside the firefighters and the Forest Department, local residents also joined the efforts to contain the blaze. Sundarbans fire rages for 2 days, destroys five acres of forest Md Abu Bakar Zaman, Assistant Director of Khulna Fire Service and Civil Defence, said 41 firefighters from eight units worked overnight, while 35 firefighters from six units joined the operation on Monday morning. "Extinguishing the fire has been a challenge as there is no water source nearby. We had to rely solely on tidal water from the Bhola River," he said. Investigation and Future Prevention Kazi Muhammad Nurul Karim, Divisional Forest Officer of the Sundarbans East Zone, confirmed that a three-member probe committee has been formed to investigate the fire. The exact cause and the extent of biodiversity loss will be determined once the report is received. Md Amir Hossain Chowdhury, Chief Conservator of the Forest Department, stated that the government has initiated steps to create water sources within the Sundarbans. Plans include excavating large ponds and dredging the Bhola, Khorma, and Aruarber rivers and canals to enhance water flow. "Lowering the high banks of these rivers will help tidal water flow more easily into the forest. This will not only support firefighting efforts but also ensure water availability for wildlife," he said. Fires destroy 90 acres of Sundarbans in 19 years Besides, authorities are investigating whether there was any sabotage involved, as multiple fires erupted within a 7-kilometre span in just one day. Another probe body will be formed on Tuesday to assess the fire’s cause, impact on biodiversity, and necessary action. According to the Forest Department, the first fire was spotted at around 7 am on Saturday in Tepar Beel, Sarankhola upazila. Dry leaves helped the fire spread quickly, damaging trees and vegetation. Another fire was detected in the dense forest of Shapla Beel at around 11:30 am on Sunday.

A fire has broken out in the Sundarbans, the country's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, but no water could be sprayed on the blaze even after 12 hours due to the lack of a nearby water source. The fire, which erupted in the Tepar Beel area under the Kolomteji Camp of the Chandpai Range in the Sundarbans East Division, has burned trees and vegetation, with smoke spreading across several parts of the forest. According to the Forest Department, some foresters spotted the fire at around 7 am on Saturday. Dry leaves fueled the flames, causing the fire to spread rapidly. Several trees and plants have already been burned. Nylon net fencing starts in Sundarbans to prevent tigers entering surrounding localities Dipen Chandra Das, Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) of Chandpai Range in the Sundarbans East Division, said, "A firebreak has been created over a 1.5-kilometer area to prevent the fire from spreading further. The Forest Department, Fire Brigade, and local villagers are working together to control the fire. However, due to the lack of a nearby water source, no water could be sprayed on the fire until Saturday evening." He could not confirm the cause of the fire or the extent of damage immediately. According to the Fire Service, the fire broke out about 3 kilometers away from the Bhola River and the nearest locality. While five fire service units were dispatched to the Sundarbans, only one unit managed to reach the site and the other four could not. A pipeline has been laid for 1.5 kilometers to carry water from the Bhola River, but another 1.5 kilometers is needed to establish a connection. Firefighters said that efforts to douse the fire with water would not be possible before Sunday morning. Sundarbans Day to be observed Friday, still awaits national recognition Aftab-e-Alam, the acting station officer of Sarankhola Fire Station in Bagerhat, said, "By Saturday evening, we managed to lay pipelines for 1.5 kilometers. Work was halted due to nightfall, and the remaining 1.5 kilometers of pipelines will be installed on Sunday morning before water spraying begins." Sakaria Haidar, Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) of Bagerhat Fire Station, said, "Five fire units from Bagerhat, Morrelganj, Mongla, Sarankhola, and Kochua are working to extinguish the fire. Firefighters are actively engaged in the operation. So far, only the Sarankhola unit has reached the fire site." 29 fires in 19 years According to the Forest Department, the Sundarbans has experienced 29 fire incidents over the past 19 years, burning approximately 85 acres of forest land. On May 4, 2024, a fire broke out in Latifer Chhila under the Amurbunia Forest Camp of the Chandpai Range in the Sundarbans East Division. A forest department investigation revealed that 7.98 acres of forest were burned in that incident. However, the committee could not determine the exact cause of the fire. Sundarbans at stake as erosion shrinks forest land Previously, on May 3, 2021, a fire broke out in the Daser Bharani area of the Sundarbans. On May 26, 2017, another fire occurred in Abdullah Chhila under the Nangli Forest Camp of the Chandpai Range in the Eastern Sundarbans.