No tiger deaths have been reported since 2024

Once upon a time, tiger hunting in the Sundarbans was considered a matter of pride. Armed with guns, groups of recreational hunters would venture into the forest to kill tigers. They would return with trophies—skins, teeth, claws, and other body parts—and regale people with tales of their bravery. In those days, the royal Bengal tiger was unjustly branded a man-eater, while tiger hunters were even awarded state-recognized heroic titles. Since no census system existed at the time, the exact tiger population was unknown. However, it is certain that the number of tigers in the Sundarbans was many times higher than it is today.

When Tiger Hunting Was a Source of Pride: From the 1950s to the 1970s, tiger hunting was regarded as a symbol of prestige. Numerous tigers were killed in the name of ensuring the safety of forest-dependent communities. During that era, Pachabdi Ghazi—also known as Abdul Hamid Ghazi—from Gabura village in Shyamnagar upazila, Satkhira district, remains one of the most prominent names in the history of tiger hunting.

The Law After Independence: In 1973, Bangladesh issued the Wildlife (Preservation) Order, legally banning tiger hunting in the Sundarbans. Later, in 2012, the law was amended (as the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act) to introduce stricter penalties against tiger hunting, killing, trafficking, and illegal trade. As a result, the Forest Department began enforcing more rigorous conservation measures for tigers and other wildlife under legal authority.

Human-Tiger Conflict: When these majestic animals wandered into human settlements—whether in search of food or due to natural causes—villagers would often band together and beat them to death. Forest Department records show that between 2001 and the present (over two and a half decades), a total of 91 tigers have died in the Sundarbans, including 30 in the eastern Sundarbans. Among them: 26 were killed by poachers and traffickers, 14 by village mobs, 18 by forest bandits, 21 died of old age, and 3 perished in natural disasters. It is believed that many more tiger deaths went unrecorded. Meanwhile, tiger attacks have claimed the lives of 425 people and injured 95 others.

Success Story: The most positive development is that since 2024, no tiger deaths have been reported in the Sundarbans. However, on January 3 of this year, a tigress was caught in a snare trap set by poachers in the Sharkir Khal area of the Chandpai Range in the eastern Sundarbans. The Forest Department rescued the animal, provided six months of treatment, and nursed her back to health. On July 12, the tigress was released back into the Sundarbans. To monitor her movements, 20 automatic trap cameras were installed across an 8-kilometer stretch of the forest.

Conservation Initiatives: Thanks to stricter law enforcement, increased patrolling and surveillance using modern technology, greater awareness among forest-dependent communities, and local public participation, human-tiger conflicts have recently decreased.

Md. Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Eastern Sundarbans Division in Bagerhat, said the government has placed special emphasis on tiger conservation. The Forest Department maintains a firm stance on this issue. Regular operations and patrols are conducted through smart patrolling, drone usage, and foot patrols. As a result, no tiger deaths have occurred since 2024. To protect tigers, various measures have been implemented, including constructing 75 kilometers of fencing in areas adjacent to human settlements, digging ponds for fresh drinking water, building mounds for shelter, and excavating the silted-up Bhola River.

What Experts Say: Professor Dr. M. A. Aziz, a tiger and wildlife expert from the Department of Zoology at Jahangirnagar University, stated, "To save the tiger, we must first stop deer poaching. Deer are the tiger's primary prey. If the food chain collapses, the tiger's survival becomes difficult. Therefore, cracking down on poachers is essential."