Although February 14 is celebrated as Valentine's Day, the people of the coastal areas of the Sundarbans celebrate the day as 'Sundarbans Day' with a call to come forward for protecting  the forest and mitigating the impacts of climate change on the Unesco World Heritage Site. Sundarbans,  the land of mangrove and Royal Bengal Tiger, is facing the impacts climate change which is affecting nature-dependent livelihoods, health, and nutrition of nearby communities. The day has been celebrated for two decades in the coastal southwestern region including Khulna to raise awareness among people about the need of conserving the Sundarbans. On February 14, 2001, under the Bangladesh Poribesh Andolan, Khulna University and 70 other environmental organizations of the country declared February 14 as 'Sundarbans Day' and celebrate it every year. Read more: Wood collectors losing interest in Golpata collection in Sundarbans amid falling demand Taking to UNB, Professor Rafiqul Islam, a resident of Paikgachha upazila adjacent to the Sundarbans, said, "The Sundarbans is vital for our survival. The Sundarbans is the lungs of South Asia. If we do not take proper initiatives to protect it, our country will face a great disaster. So first of all you have to love the Sundarbans. February 14 is the Sundarbans Day for us. “ Bidesh Ranjan Mridha, president of Koyra Unnayan Sangram Coordination Committee, said, "On February 14, we want to inspire the coastal people to love the Sundarbans. Many people do not understand what damages are being done to the Sundarbans. Nature in the forest is changing due to the  rise in the salinity level.” “Sundari tree, one of the most extensively found mangrove species in the Sundarbans, is disappearing fast. Goran, Gewa, Keora are growing there. The nature of water and soil of the Sundarbans has changed. If there was no Sundarbans, Koyra upazila would have been vanished by the cyclones, “ he added. Keramat Mawla, a former member of Mahisharipur union adjacent to the Sundarbans,  said, "Now fish are not found in the river next to our Sundarbans. Profit mongers are killing animals with poison to destroy the Sundarbans. The number of deer is also shrinking. Golpata collectors cut thousands of maunds of leaves with a permit of 500 maunds. We want to make local residents aware of these issues on Sundarbans Day.” Read: Jashore flower growers eye Tk 70 cr sale in the month of language, Falgun, Valentine’s Day

The residents of Khejurbaria under Sharankhola upazila of Bagerhat are literally living in fear for their lives as a Royal Bengal Tiger was spotted lying down inside a fish enclosure in the village.  Shahin Khan, a resident of the village, was the one to spot the tiger - first at his fish enclosure, two kilometres from the Sundarbans, around 9:15pm on Thursday. Later this was announced through the mosque’s loudspeakers to warn the villagers, but it ended up creating panic among them.  On information, forest officials and rangers visited Khejurbaria village on Friday morning. They searched in the gardens and bushes of the village but did not find the tiger.  Also Read: Fisherman injured in tiger attack in the Sundarbans Shahin’s father and union parishad member Abul Hossain Khan said, “Our village is situated two kilometres from the Sundarbans. Bhola River and Dhansagar village are situated in the middle our village and the Sundarbans. A tiger was seen after long years in our village. Villagers did not take any action to catch the animal or chase it away despite fear. We have informed the forest department about the tiger.”    Sundarbans East Zone Dhansagar station officer Abdus Sabur said, “Being informed, we have visited the village but did not find any footprints of the tiger. The ground was dry. Our team is patrolling here, so that if they see the tiger, they can take measures to chase it away or send it back to the forest.”            

A fisherman was injured by a Royal Bengal Tiger on the Bhola river in Chandpai Range of the Sundarbans on Sunday morning. Abu Saleh Akon, 45, son of Amir Ali of Bajikarkhand village in Mongla upazila of Bagerhat district, survived the attack. He has been making his living by fishing in the Sundarbans for almost 30 years. He is currently undergoing treatment at Mongla Upazila Health Complex. According to family sources, Abu Saleh and Md Hanif went to catch fish and crabs in the rivers and canals of the Sundarbans when a tiger attacked Abu Saleh while he was netting in Amurbunia area of Bhola river around 8am. At one point, Abu Saleh jumped into the river and the tiger left him and returned to the forest. Also read: The big cat count: Tiger census in Sunderbans begins in April Later, Hanif rescued him and rushed him to the Health Complex. Faisal Hossain Swarna, a doctor at the Health Complex, said there are several marks created by tiger's paws and teeth on the fisherman’s body. “But he is out of danger now.” However, Jahangir Alam, Jiudhara station officer of Chandpai range in the eastern part of the Sundarbans, said that Abu Saleh had entered the forest without permission from the Forest Department. “It was not possible for the Forest Department to provide any assistance to the fisherman as he entered the forest without permission.” Also read: Tiger recovered from Sundarbans canal most likely died of natural causes Muhammad Belayet Hossain, divisional forest officer (DFO) of the Eastern Division of the Sundarbans, said the matter is being investigated. At least 50 fishermen and beekeepers from Sharankhola, Morelganj and Mongla upazilas adjacent to the Sundarbans in Bagerhat got injured in tiger attacks in 20 years. Some have lost their eyes in these attacks.

This month only, the much-awaited tiger census will begin in the Sunderbans -- the world’s largest and only mangrove delta inhabited by the big cats. Along with tigers, the government will also enumerate deer and pigs in the delta under the 'Sundarbans Tiger Conservation Project’ estimated to cost the state exchequer a whopping Tk 35.93 crore. On March 23, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change gave its nod to the project with a three-year timeline. “The census will be conducted inside the tiger sanctuary in the Sunderbans as well as its periphery,” Abu Naser Mohsin, divisional forest area officer, told UNB. Also read: Tiger recovered from Sundarbans canal most likely died of natural causes

A Royal Bengal Tiger’s hide was seized from Sharonkhola of Bagerhat District Tuesday afternoon.

Fear has gripped the residents of a number of villages at Dakkhin Razapur in Shorankhola upazila of Bagerhat district as the footprints of a tiger was found in their locality.

Residents of the coastal districts of Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat observed the ‘Sundarbans Day’ on Friday with an appeal to save the largest mangrove forest in the world.

A portion of the body of a Royal Bengal Tiger was recovered from near Kabar Ali canal in the Sundarbans in Sarankhola upazila on Monday.

Bagerhat, Sept 25 (UNB) – The Royal Bengal Tiger found dead in the Sundarbans was not poisoned; rather it died a natural death, according to the test report of forensic and CID labs.