Drowning in trash: The dying ecosystem of Tanguar Haor
A wetland that once sustained fish, birds, forests, agriculture and tens of thousands of people is now being asked to sustain an ever-growing tourism industry as well.
At dawn, Tanguar Haor was once a place where the silence was broken by birdsong and the sight of fishing boats returning with their catch.
For residents who have watched the wetland change over the years, that landscape is increasingly becoming a memory.
Today, the same waters that draw thousands of tourists are carrying a growing burden of plastic waste, human waste, fuel and noise. Luxury houseboats crowd the wetland during the tourist season, while illegal fishing, pesticide pollution, bird hunting and climate-related changes are putting further pressure on its already fragile ecosystem.
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What was once celebrated as one of Bangladesh's richest natural sanctuaries is now facing a question of survival: how much more pressure can Tanguar Haor take?
Spread across 12,655 hectares in Sunamganj's Madhyanagar and Tahirpur upazilas, Tanguar Haor - known locally as the "Naykuri Kanda, Chhaykuri Beel" - contains 109 beels.
At the foothills of Meghalaya, the haor receives clear mountain water through the Jadukata River. Its vast blue waters, hijol groves and rich aquatic ecosystem have made it one of Bangladesh's most popular destinations for nature lovers.
In winter, the wetland also becomes a refuge for migratory birds travelling thousands of kilometres from Russia, Siberia and other colder regions in search of food and shelter.
But its growing popularity is becoming a threat in itself.
A tourism boom with an ecological cost
The spread of social media and online travel content has turned Tanguar Haor into a bucket-list destination for tourists.
To cater to the surge in demand, hundreds of luxury houseboats have appeared on the wetland. Many offer air conditioning and other modern amenities designed to provide tourists with the comforts of a hotel while they are surrounded by a fragile natural ecosystem.
During the tourism season, around 400 registered and unregistered houseboats and other boats reportedly set out for Tanguar Haor every day from several points, including Saheb Bari Ghat in Sunamganj, Tahirpur-Anwarpur Ferry Ghat, Naltia Ghat, Badshanganj Ferry Ghat in Dharmapasha and Madhyanagar Bazar Ghat.
The result is an increasingly crowded wetland.
Tourists generate human waste, food leftovers and single-use plastic packaging. Bottles and other waste are also reportedly dumped directly into the water.
For a wetland whose ecological health depends on the quality of its water, the consequences could be severe.
Then comes the noise.
The engines of hundreds of boats, combined with loudspeakers and sound systems used by tourists, are turning parts of the haor into noisy corridors - far removed from the quiet habitat that once attracted migratory birds.
Environmentalists say the noise is disturbing birds and degrading their habitat.
At night, another threat emerges.
Migratory birds are hunted illegally during winter, according to local sources, further reducing their presence in an ecosystem that is internationally recognised for its importance to waterbirds.
Fish disappearing from fishermen's nets
The crisis is not limited to birds.
Tanguar Haor's fish stocks are also under mounting pressure.
Asked how much unregulated tourism and various human activities are negatively affecting the biodiversity of Tanguar Haor, particularly its fish population, Dr Mostafa Shamsuzzaman, a researcher and lecturer at the Faculty of Fisheries at Sylhet Agricultural University, said untreated human faecal waste from tourists increases organic pollution in the water. When this waste enters the water, it increases biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and reduces dissolved oxygen (DO).
"As a result, the 143 species of fish in Tanguar Haor, along with other aquatic plants, may face oxygen shortages."
"Moreover, noise pollution from engines and the continuous movement of boats along the same routes damage underwater sediment and vegetation layers, which are extremely important for fish eggs and fry.
"Such human waste can remain in the environment for a long time and eventually break down into microplastics. These tiny particles can enter the human body through the food chain and pose health risks. Different polymers found in microplastics can also be harmful to aquatic organisms.
"Additionally, fuel, lubricants and other chemicals released by boats can interfere with the physiological functions of fish and aquatic plants. We have observed these problems through field research."
"If this continues, both the biodiversity of the haor and the physical and economic well-being of local communities will inevitably face serious challenges in the future. Appropriate measures must be taken now to address the situation. These should include regulated tourism management, proper waste management, the use of environmentally friendly boats, and the introduction of ecotourism with the active participation of local communities."
Pesticides used on agricultural land can enter water bodies during the farming season, affecting aquatic life. Meanwhile, the use of prohibited fishing gear - including current nets, kona nets and China duari - is reportedly widespread.
Such nets can trap juvenile fish before they reach maturity, threatening the natural regeneration of fish populations.
Some people also reportedly drain beels to catch fish or use poisonous bait.
The combined pressure is changing the character of the haor, residents and environmental activists say.
Climate change is adding another layer of uncertainty. Changes in fish migration routes and increasingly frequent early flooding are affecting both fisheries and agriculture.
The consequences are spilling directly into people's lives.
77,000 people caught in the crisis
Around 77,000 people in 88 villages surrounding Tanguar Haor depend heavily on agriculture and fisheries.
For generations, the wetland has been their workplace, food source and economic lifeline.
But as fish stocks decline and agricultural conditions become more difficult, household incomes are being squeezed.
Some residents are now leaving their villages for cities in search of work.
Sohag, 40, a resident of the haor area, remembers a very different Tanguar.
"This haor is no longer what it used to be. When I woke up as a child, I would hear birds chirping and see fishermen returning with boats full of fish. Now, those are only memories."
Farmer Akkas Ali, 65, from Ichhamari village on the northern bank of Tanguar Haor, said, "The haor is no longer the way it used to be. In the past, we could catch fish whenever we wanted simply by casting a net. Behind my house, in the bamboo grove and in the mango trees in front of it, thousands of birds - including herons, cormorants, whistling ducks and lesser whistling ducks - used to build nests. Now, they hardly come anymore."
Anwar Mia, 45, from Rupnagar village on the bank of the haor, said, "A lot has changed in the haor. Birds are no longer seen in the same numbers as before, and fish have also become scarce. People are cutting down the hijol forests as well. However, the arrival of tourists has created employment opportunities for many of us. Many now work on houseboats, while some supply fish, chickens and vegetables to the boats. Others make a living by running shops in tourist areas along the haor. But all of these activities need to be brought under proper regulation so that we do not face long-term damage."
His recollection captures a transformation that environmentalists fear could become irreversible.
A Ramsar wetland without sustainable tourism
The government declared Tanguar Haor an Ecologically Critical Area in 1999, ending the previous leasing system.
A year later, on 20 January 2000, Unesco designated the wetland as a Ramsar Site - recognising it as a wetland of international importance.
On 12 February 2001, the Ministry of Land transferred responsibility for conserving and managing the haor's biodiversity and natural environment to the then Ministry of Environment and Forests.
The Sunamganj district administration took control of the wetland on 9 November 2003.
Yet more than two decades later, environmentalists say the fundamental problem remains: Tanguar Haor has attracted mass tourism without developing the infrastructure and controls needed to make that tourism sustainable.
There is reportedly still no effective navigation plan for tourist vessels and no properly enforced limit on how many houseboats the wetland can accommodate each day based on its ecological carrying capacity.
Tourist safety is another concern. Five tourists have died in separate incidents in the haor in recent months, according to the report.
The Sunamganj district administration recently issued 13 directives for houseboat owners and tourists. But residents and environmental activists say tourism continues much as before, with enforcement struggling to keep pace.
'Tourism must be controlled'
Obaidul Haque, general secretary of the Sunamganj Haor and River Protection Movement, said Tanguar Haor needed immediate intervention.
He called for eco-certified houseboats, regular patrols, zero-plastic waste management and a daily tourist limit based on the wetland's carrying capacity.
"If tourism continues without limits, the very ecosystem that attracts tourists will disappear," environmentalists warn.
Kasmir Reza, president of the Bangladesh Environment and Haor Development Organisation (POHAS), said tourism must be brought under control if Tanguar Haor's biodiversity is to recover.
"The way unregulated tourism is continuing here is a threat to biodiversity," he said, calling for improved waste management and stricter controls.
He also urged regular drives against illegal fishing with current nets, kona nets, Kiranmala nets, China duari and other prohibited gear.
Some people also catch fish by draining beels or using poisonous bait, he said.
"Above all, biodiversity can be conserved if public awareness and administrative monitoring are increased," he added.
Authorities point to enforcement
Sunamganj Additional Deputy Commissioner Matiur Rahman Khan said the district administration had taken various measures under the Haor Protection Ordinance 2025.
The administration has issued 13 directives for houseboat owners and tourists and is conducting regular mobile court operations, he said.
It is also coordinating cleanliness drives with BD Clean.
A boat has been stationed at the watchtower under the supervision of the houseboat owners' association to collect waste, while local authorities are conducting monitoring operations and distributing awareness leaflets.
The administration is also considering additional measures to protect the haor, he said.
But for Tanguar Haor, the warning signs are becoming harder to ignore.
A wetland that once sustained fish, birds, forests, agriculture and tens of thousands of people is now being asked to sustain an ever-growing tourism industry as well.
The danger is not simply that Tanguar Haor could become less beautiful.
It is that the ecosystem itself could begin to fail - taking with it the fisheries, biodiversity and livelihoods that have sustained communities around the wetland for generations.
And once those disappear, no number of tourist boats, directives or clean-up drives may be enough to bring them back.
