Sundarban – One of the Seven Natural Wonders of …users.tpg.com.au/nawshadul/SundarbanNH.pdf · natural wonders of the world. The pride of Bangladesh, “the Sundarbans” (academic

Dr. Nawshadul Haque – Sundarban – http://members.optuszoo.com.au/nhaque – [email protected] – Page 1 of 6

Sundarban – One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World?

Dr. Nawshadul Haque 17 December 2009

Recently, Sundarban came under media spotlight and huge enthusiasm was observed among

the common people of Bangladesh. The computer labs at various universities were given free access to the public for voting because of easy accessibility to the internet. At the end of the day, Sundarban forest took the place in the finalists 28 natural wonders, from a total of 77. The way the civil society, celebrities, various organisations campaigned and encouraged people to vote, if this mood of enthusiasm is kept for long, there is a reason to believe that Sundarban will be listed as one of the seven natural wonders of world. The unique characteristics of Sundarban deserve this recognition indeed. Though I am from Bangladesh, I have lived a significant period in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia over a decade. I have also traveled for professional reasons and conferences in China, Japan and Singapore, Romania, Hungary, Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic and got an opportunity to visit some important tourist places in these countries. Without any biasness, I have no hesitation to vote Sundarban as one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

The pride of Bangladesh, “the Sundarbans” (academics write it like this) is the world’s largest

single tract mangrove forest, the home of several hundreds Royal Bengal Tigers. The total area is about 10,000 square kilometers. A little over half is in Bangladesh territory and the remaining is in West Bengal state of India. Comparatively, it would be little over Melbourne and its surroundings. Other notable wild animals are about quarter of a million spotted deer, rhesus monkeys, salt-water crocodiles, wild boars, lizards, and a variety of birds. Some parts of Sundarban are listed as UNESCO declared World Heritage because of its unique biodiversity.

It was during my study of forestry degree at the University of Chittagong, there was a bit of

an opportunity to learn about Sundarban in some depth. Later, during my academic and research career at the forestry discipline of Khulna University, there was a need to know more in greater depth about this mangrove forest. Although not an expert but being a forestry graduate, a former academic and researcher, I hope I can share some of my experience about Sundarban. When I was in Khulna, I used to be invited as a speaker for the regular programs on Sundarban, broadcast by the Radio Bangladesh Khulna centre.

Although our fellow batches got the opportunity for field excursion to Sundarban while

studying, due to unexpected situations beyond control, our batch was deprived. For writing a working plan for a forest division, a month-long stay inside the forest is necessary to collect data, survey and listing of forest resources as part of a practical subject under forestry curriculum. Although we were supposed to go Sundarban for this subject, our program was diverted to Madhupur Sal forest due to unforeseen reasons. We camped in tents for a month at Charaljani Forest Station in Tangail and lived an army life, only without fighting a war. Although we stepped our foot almost in every corners of other forests in Bangladesh, we got forestry degree certificate, unfortunately without visiting Sundarban. So I had a strong desire to visit this forest at the earliest and get any opportunity to experience life in Sundarban.


Just after having the degree, almost all my fellow graduates joined as forest officers. I got the opportunity to be a forest officer or a forestry academic at the same time. I chose the later. At that point in time, my friends were responsible for the Forest Resource Management Project, one of the largest projects in the Forest Department funded by the Food and Agriculture Organisation and United Nations Development Program. My fellow friends, Mohsinul Alam (currently living in England) and Dr. Tapan Sarker (currently a researcher at Griffith University, Queensland) were leading a month-long trip with two teams of people in Sundarban for forest inventory data collection. The semester just ended and I became free from taking student classes for a while. It was a perfect match and instantly I decided to go with them. I told my newly-wed wife that I was going to Sundarban. I will be back in a few days, if I am not, assume I have been eaten by roaming tigers.

Soon I joined the crew, was waiting to start, with two motor launches, two speed boats, the

boatmen, forest guards, other staffs, food, drinks and supplies for a month. Twelve years ago, calling someone using a phone from Sundarban to Khulna was not possible, other than the wireless communication of Forest Department used in extreme case with difficulties. We started to ply on the Bhairab river downwards, passing Nalian Range Office of Forest Department. Sundarban is divided in four ranges. Sharankhola and Chandpai Ranges are in Bagerhat District, Khulna Range Office is in Nalian and Shatkhira is in Burigoalini. We were going over the Arpangachia river, then passing Andhermanik Beat Office, towards the Malancha river. Our destination on the first day was Latabeki of South West Shatkhira Range. When the launch reached at the convolution of the Arpangachia and the Malancha rivers, I saw an amazing scene! It is still vividly clear in my memory. Numerous, may be thousands of small sailed boats were rowing upwards very slowly. The fishermen were catching small, wriggling shrimp pawns and other fishes by leaving the nets on the water. By natural flow of murky, foamy, blue tidal water during high tide, the water current speed seemed reasonably high enough to move these boats opposite to downstream flow. The water lashed on the both banks of the river. Such a wonderful scenery, on a beautiful sunny day, with crystal clear autumn-like sky, in the vast river/forest landscape meeting the orange horizon in the far, is just breathtaking and unforgettable! Birds sailed over the sky, as they flapped their wings in a frenzy-like little scraps of white paper, they floated as light as a feather. Beautiful!

As long as the daylight was there, my job was to sit on a chair on the open deck of the slow

moving launch and enjoy the wonders of a natural forest on two banks of the river. It was possibly March or April, and the rivers were full to the brim during high tide. Mohsin and Tapan have been to Sundarban possibly several times due to project work, so they are not so excited now. Tapan’s mother was scared all the times with the fear when her only off-spring is eaten by the tiger. His wife used to be deeply worried to learn about his trip to Sundarban.

It was one of the best times of my life I have ever experienced. In the morning, when we

started to enter the forest vicinity, I saw a clump of large keora trees. Under these trees, a herd of spotted deer were grazing on the uri grass of the newly formed mud lands. The monkeys were swinging from branch to branch, with cheerful playing and throwing twigs and leaves for the deer from the top of the tree. Almost towards the end of the day, we reached at the canal of Latabeki. The crew landed at the jetty and boats were anchored. I opened the door and climbed up the stairs, many steps, may be meters upwards because it was at ebb. At that place, our senior


fellow forester Ruhul was responsible for supervision of building a large complex of offices, rest house, the residences and a pond for sweet water for the wild animals. Myself and Mohsin were talking and started to walk over the banks and bunds of the newly excavated pond. Mohsin reminded me to be alert, keep an eye around and walk with an extreme care because a tiger could take a human from here within a blink of an eye, which is literally true.

At dusk, we returned to the launch or houseboat, which is also with sleeping arrangement.

After quite long time, all friends had a good time laughing and chit chatting. The contractor and his associates from Khulna joined us and we played cards. We had dinner with dry fried curry of the freshly caught large crabs in the morning, cooked with hot chili and rice. Quite a fair bit of night passed already with the party mood in the forest.

When night falls deep in the forest, it was the time, I realised the true beauty of Sundarban. In

this place without any locality anywhere near, in full moonlit night, the peace, tranquility, heavenly scene and feelings I have never tasted anywhere in my life. It is beyond description in any language. Only the individual with actual experience can feel it properly. Every now and then sounds of water drops, drizzle, splash, the gentle sound of the water current, waves of high tide, low ebb, and at times the amazing singing of birds and sound of the wild animals. A tiger’s roar burst in the air tearing the forest tranquility with echo. The early morning is even more beautiful. I got out of the launch and wanted to reach the ground. I had to step down many stairs, may a couple of meters. Guess! It is now high tide time. Many parts of the forest floor are regularly inundated by tidal water during high tide. This is a unique feature of mangrove forest.

Thereafter, daily routine job started – divide the team, take GPS, notebook, survey forms,

measuring tapes, tree height, diameter and other forest measurement equipments, and enter deep in the forest by speed boat. From the river to the canal to the small streams, then tie the boat with an exposed tree root branch and land on the ground. For the inventory work, Sundarban was divided into large number of blocks and grids on the map. A sample plot was systematically chosen among these blocks of map. Then find the real place on the ground with the help of the trustworthy GPS, specially designated canal, tree or some other symbols or mark. Then we go into the forest in single line as in procession. In front and back of the line, two forest guards with guns watched over, rest of the crew – each was holding a wooden stick. With the hue and cry, making noises as much as you can, hit the bush with the stick and march forward with full alertness. What an adventure! Suddenly the group froze due to some reason. Something moved inside the bush with a light noise. A stinky stench came from the wind, similar to that found in a zoo, such a nerve breaking moment. A front-line expert said it is the smell of tiger. A lot of fresh pugmarks around, tiger scat is spread around. As soon as, a sudden movement and noise from moving object came from the bush another time, the front guard pulled the trigger and fired in the air. That loud noise broke the silence, dispersed all around the forest landscape with echo. Without any work, the team needed to be back at the boat hurriedly due to safety.

Next another sample plot. Usual process is to demarcate an area of around 10 square meters,

and then count the number, and variety of trees, their types and condition, identify them, note their names, note the number of seedling, saplings and large trees and any information for that matter. The data collectors are experienced staff. In Sundarban, there are sundri and keora trees with characteristic pnuematophores (or air-roots for breathing). There are goran, kakra, bain


trees, they have special germination system (called viviparous – that is seeds germinate while still attached with the tree, drop on the soft ground and quickly develop root system and get established as a new plant. This is one of the incredible features of nature. The adaptation mechanisms of plants and wild animals are really amazing. A large number of gewa trees are available, which is a raw-material for Khulna Newsprint Mill and Hardboard Mill. If there is a golpata stock, the note is taken about the number of small or large fronds (leaves) and the status of the cluster. The information need to be collected within short time. It sounds quite simple but actual implementation on the ground in a real sample plot with a many constraints, it is quite hard job and remarkably with high risk. Based on these information, foresters will analyse and prepare forest management plan and prescribe guidelines for future. One feature of forest economics is that the forest itself is the product and the factory. So if the products need to be extracted from a forest in perpetuity, a certain amount of growing stock need to be maintained forever. This is the main principle and tenet of sustainable forest management.

Anyhow, although we did not see the tiger directly, there was no end of the scary feelings

during data collection in each sample plot. We heard that it is a matter of luck to see a tiger. A lot of people worked their whole life in Sundarban but still could not see a tiger. Anyway, at that time of our adventure inside the deep forest, I was thinking, perhaps it was good not to face a tiger directly. Before starting work on another plot, the guard filled the gun it with a cartridge and pulled the trigger with a blank fire. The loud noise echoed. I suppose, it is quite an interesting experience and feeling to fire a real gun like a soldier. I enjoyed a bit of this experience. When I go to Bangladesh, I still go to the park and play the air gun to shoot balloons. It is damn easy. With few takas, I popped all the target balloons very easily, I feel sorry for the poor guy who fixed on the target board and need to repeat the whole job contrary to his expectation.

On the sunny days, I sat on a chair with a sunhat on the deck of the moving launch with Forest

Department names and logo. I tried to observe closely the common people of the forest. The wooden boats, the jolly fishermen, the exhausted wood collectors, the honey collectors, the golpata collectors and their boats were crossing us one after another. Their outfits show, just how little they can afford. Everyone is saluting me thinking me as a forest officer. But I was deeply thinking about their simplest life, with such severe struggle. May be, their poor families, their loved ones are counting days for their return after a long fish catching trip. In this season, a little bit of earning would be enough to satisfy. Love for life! It is known fact of destiny. Destiny is playing with their lucks day and nights. Every year over hundred people are eaten by the tigers. They are very common people. Those who own the boats, rich merchant, illegal wood smuggler, they don’t go to the forest. They are local influential people, they buy these people’s time and send them to the forest. Is not this a kind of old slavery in new form? They are tied to the landlord’s vicious string for what not.

There is no point of blaming the tigers. About half a million people of southern region of

Bangladesh directly or indirectly live on Sundarban’s resources. Human has made the condition of the forest in such a state that tiger eats them, though forest staff eaten by a tiger was little heard off. Why would they? They don’t cut the trees nor collect wood without any protection or gun cover and lose mind in the job like the woodcutters, they do not look for beehives at overhead trees like the honey collectors for survival. The life of the ordinary working people of


forest is of little value. They are ideal prey for the tigers. There are varieties of tigers. When we studied wildlife, we came to know how Sundarban tiger turns to man-eater. We have created chaos in tiger’s habitat. Tiger or human? That is a separate debate. Is co-existence possible? Certainly, but it needs right planning, management and a lot of money. Despite to run under severe constraints with very limited resources, hardship post, I am sure many of the dedicated forest officers are trying their best to protect this unique landscape juggling with so many conflicting demands. I have my sincere appreciation to these professionals.

I found in a lot of places in Sundarban, a red or white rag tied on the end of stick that was

inserted in the mud on the bank of the stream or canal. This is a sign for the forest people to know that a man has been taken by the tiger from this point. I have deep respect for these fearless, hardworking people. If we talk about achievement in life, I am no where to their rank. Tragically, their lives are miserable. May be, they are happy and content with their not so much expectation in life.

One morning, we three took the speed boat for going to a sample plot located in the forest

strip between Bangladesh and West Bengal Sundarban along the Raimangal river. We had to go in fair bit in the Bay. We experienced huge rolling of large waves, it was quite scary. The wave was about to turn the speed boat upside down. We were at a fair distance from the launch and any help. Except saline water around everywhere, and thin forest line on the horizon bank far far away upstream, barely visible, nothing much around we could see. Fortunately, we came back safe.

With earning this variety of interesting experiences, almost two weeks passed. My wife

possibly was fearing the worst …………………. . In fact, even if I was trying to leave, there was little possibility because in the meantime, after passing Pushpakathi, Mandarbari, we have reached the Bay of Bengal. Going upstream to Khulna would take a fair bit of time. In addition, I had least desire to return, from the forester’s heaven to the dull world. Anyhow the reality bites, so was thinking to return. One afternoon, Mohsin took me by a speed boat to Chalna Port and he farewell me and returned to continue their expedition. I had no idea how to get to Khulna from Chalna that evening. Fortunately, a contractor was returning to Khulna alone on his motorbike. Getting to know that I am the local university teacher, he took me on his bike with over-enthusiasm. Soon we came back in Khulna, finally at home. I found that my wife is in my father-in-law’s residence and everyone was worried to death in the last few days. With fake anger, she asked, so, didn’t the tiger eat you? I replied, “tiger eats fatty persons, why would he target me?”

The second time I went to Sundarban again for few days with my senior fellow, Fazlul Hoque

(Kajol), my forestry teacher and later colleague Dr. Abdur Rahman and a visiting professor of ecology at the University of Wales we hosted at that time. Kajol bhai is now the Head of forestry discipline in Khulna University. We discussed a lot of research topics on Sundarban. Kajol bhai started his career as a researcher of Bangladesh Forest Research Institute and worked on mangrove silviculture before joining Khulna University. He has vast knowledge on Sundarban ecology, environment, hydrology, river dynamics, land changes and geomorphology. The last time I visited him, it was impressive to see his research project on Sundarban’s trees in Khulna University campus. During that second trip to Sundarban, we covered most the eastern part of the forest entering by passing through the Dhangmari forest station. Eastern Sundarban is more


dense forest with mainly sundri trees with and incredible large crown, tall stem and larger diameter trunks. Comparatively, the western part is dominated by goran, some golpata, kholshi plant (bee-honey producing flower plants) and consequently less dense. The salinity of water also gradually increases from the east to the west direction. We touched most tourist spots in Sundarban during this trip. We spent a night at Kotka rest house and saw herds of slender spotted deer, came at night around the complex, easily visible through the window. We spent another night in the three storey accommodation building maintained by the Mongla Port Authority. We went to Hiron Point, Dublar Island fishermen village, Tigerpoint and Supoti. At night Nilkomol looks like a mini-mall with night lights in the middle of nowhere.

Bangladesh is our dreamland. Isn’t it? Everynight we sleep, whoever doesn’t dream

something related about something with our motherland? Now-a-days I day-dream a lot about Bangladesh. So many things to do, so many plans I think in my mind should be done. Last year when I was given responsibility from my current workplace at CSIRO to be part of a team to host a group of Bangladeshi high level delegate, comprising of the Science Ministry Secretary, Chairman of Science laboratory, other officers and notably one scientist in the group. I tried to know the reason for their trip. They were coming to explore if Titanium metal can be made from the mineral sands of Cox’s Bazzar sea beach in Bangladesh. They had little access to information, so were unable to do much home work. I tried to find some literature in our library. Indeed, it can be an industry in Bangladesh with huge potential. Titanium is an extremely valuable metal. Generally, it is used for making of aircraft body, special parts of chemical plants and with many other applications. I found an Australian company has started exploration and investigation in Bangladesh recently. My daydream now is to see an established Titanium industry in Bangladesh based on mineral sand resources and industry for making Boeing aero plane. There are various reasons and doubts for investment in reality, but who is going to stop a poor researcher from dreaming? If the fishermen in Dublar char can get a fair price for his catch from market intelligence using mobile phone, why can’t the resident Bangladeshi engineers make aero-plane in Bangladesh? Anyway, I started writing about Sundarban, would like to finish with Sundarban.

If you would like to know more about Sundarban, there are now several websites. Adam

Barlow, an American is researching on Sundarban tigers under supervision of a professor at a university. Adam now lives in Khulna or Sundarban. His Sundarban Tiger Project website provides a lot of useful information. To vote for Sundarban, anybody can enter the New 7 Natural Wonders website and register. If Sundarban is finally selected as one of the Seven Natural Wonders, more people in the world will come forward to learn about Sundarban. Who of us doesn’t want this final outcome?

Acknowledgements: Nushrat Sultana for editing, Mohsinul Alam and Dr. Tapan Sarker for

editing and factual corrections. Websites: www.sundarbanstigerproject.info New 7 Wonders: www.new7wonders.com Link to author’s homepage: http://members.optuszoo.com.au/nhaque Email: [email protected]

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Sundarban – One of the Seven Natural Wonders of …users.tpg.com.au/nawshadul/SundarbanNH.pdf · natural wonders of the world. The pride of Bangladesh, “the Sundarbans” (academic