Tourists flock to Sundarbans as ban lifted after 3 months

Tourists are flocking to the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest and a Unesco World Heritage Site, after the Forest Department lifted a three-month ban on tourism on Friday (1 September).

More than 450 tourists went to visit various spots of the Sundarbans on Friday (1 September), according to tour operators.

Besides, since the ban on fishing has also been lifted, fishermen have started catching fish in various rivers and canals in the forest.

Due to the breeding season of fish and wild animals, the entry of fishermen and tourists to the Sundarbans was closed from 1 June to 31 August.

Majharul Islam Kochi, joint general secretary of Tour Operators Association of Sundarbans (Toas) and owner of Evergreen Tours said, "Nine tourist launches went to the Sundarbans on the first day after the end of the ban. Of these, seven are from Khulna, one from Mongla and one from Dhaka."

Howladar Azad Kabir, officer-in-charge of Karamjal Wildlife Breeding Center at East Sundarbans said, "Fishermen and tourists are entering the Sundarbans from this morning. Till 4:30pm, more than 400 tourists visited Karamjal."

He expects the number of tourists to increase in the coming days.

According to the latest data from the Forest Department, the Sundarbans is home to a diverse ecosystem, boasting 114 Royal Bengal Tigers, 375 species of wild animals including a vast population of deer, 334 species of plants encompassing the iconic Sundari trees, 165 species of algae, 13 species of orchids, and 300 species of birds. Moreover, the Sundarbans' aquatic realm harbours 291 species of fish, including crocodiles and dolphins, encompassing 1,874 square kilometres of water