Steps have also been taken to increase the number of forest workers to protect the flora and fauna
The area of the world’s largest mangrove forest Sundarbans is expanding and the number of tigers in the forest are also increasing, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told the Parliament.
The Premier said it in a written reply to a question from Member of Parliament Begum Sultana Nadira during the question and answer session scheduled for Wednesday.
Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury presided the session.
Referring to the increasing number of tigers in Sundarbans, Sheikh Hasina said: “The number of tigers in the Sundarbans was 106 according to the 2015 tiger census through camera trapping. In the 2018 census, 114 of them were found.”
“The amount of carbon reserve in the Sundarbans has also increased. In 2009 it was 106 million tons and in 2019 it has increased to 139 million tons,” PM added.
The Prime Minister said: “The Sundarbans, a reservoir of biodiversity, now has 334 species of plants, 165 species of alga, 13 species of orchids and 375 species of wildlife. Among the wildlife, there are 42 species of mammals, 35 species of reptiles, 8 species of amphibians, 315 species of birds, 210 species of fish, 24 species of shrimps and 14 species of crabs.”
The head of government also said that steps has taken to increase the number of forest workers to protect the flora and fauna of the Sundarbans.
Mentioning that the wildlife sanctuary area was expanded in 2017, PM said: “Currently, about 53% of the area of the Sundarbans is included in the sanctuary.”
