The battle for Sonadia: An island caught between profit and preservation

The mist often clings to the shoreline of Sonadia Island, a nine-square-kilometre sanctuary of mangrove and salt air tucked away in Kutubjom Union of Maheshkhali. 

For centuries, the island has been a quiet sentinel of the Bay of Bengal, expanding and breathing with the tides. In recent years, however, this small island became the centre of a tug-of-war between ambitious industrial development and the urgent need for ecological preservation. 

Today, Sonadia stands at a crossroads, having narrowly escaped a massive transformation, yet still bearing the deep scars of that attempt.

The modern struggle for Sonadia began in 2016. The Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) launched an ambitious initiative to attract foreign tourists by developing three large tourism parks in the Teknaf and Maheshkhali upazilas, covering a total of 11,000 acres. 

While Sabrang Tourism Park was planned for 967 acres and Naf Tourism Park for 271 acres, the crown jewel was the proposed Sonadia Eco-Tourism Park, spanning a staggering 9,467 acres. For the construction of this project, the Cox's Bazar district administration allotted the land to BEZA in 2017 at a token amount of just Tk1,001.

The vision was grand. An Indian firm, Mahindra Engineering, was commissioned to draft a master plan for what was envisioned as the country's largest and most sophisticated eco-tourism destination. 

However, the lease came with a strict legal caveat under the Environment Conservation Act of 1995, which prohibited any activity that could negatively affect the island's environment. Despite these conditions, the island remained under BEZA's control for eight years, during which development activities were initiated.

The promise of a sustainable park quickly soured for environmentalists and lawyers. On 28 October 2024, the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) filed a writ petition with the High Court, arguing that constructing such a park in an Ecologically Critical Area violated existing law.

The legal battle reached a turning point on 26 November 2024, when a High Court bench issued an order suspending all activities for six months. Finally, on 17 March this year, the government officially cancelled the land settlement granted to BEZA. 

By 5 May 2025, a memorandum signed by Masud Kamal, deputy secretary of the Ministry of Land, formally returned the 9,467 acres — comprising 2,712 acres in Sonadia, 4,839 acres in Samudra Bilas, and 1,918 acres in Char Mokbul — to the Forest Department.

Why Sonadia is irreplaceable

To understand why the cancellation of the lease was met with such relief, one must examine Sonadia's unique biological system. The island is home to the only saline-water mangrove forest along Bangladesh's south-eastern coast. This green belt serves as a vital shield against natural disasters, acting as a buffer that absorbs the fury of the sea before it reaches the mainland.

Sonadia's importance is not merely local; it is global. A 2019 survey conducted by the government's Centre for Environmental and Geographic Information Services identified three globally endangered bird species on the island, including the elusive spoon-billed sandpiper. 

To understand why the cancellation of the lease was met with such relief, one must examine Sonadia's unique biological system. The island is home to the only saline-water mangrove forest along Bangladesh's south-eastern coast. This green belt serves as a vital shield against natural disasters, acting as a buffer that absorbs the fury of the sea before it reaches the mainland.

Approximately 170 species of migratory birds use Sonadia as a critical stopover, while its surrounding waters host Irrawaddy dolphins, Indo-Pacific dolphins and finless porpoises.

Moazzem Hossain, chairman of Save the Nature of Bangladesh, emphasises that Sonadia and the adjacent Hasher Char are the lifeblood of marine biodiversity. "Every year, three species of marine turtles, including the green sea turtle, crawl onto these sands to lay more than 20,000 eggs. These turtles are ecological workers. 

"They help control the breeding of harmful organisms that destroy fish eggs and fry, thereby maintaining the balance of fish production across the Bay of Bengal. Within the island's forest and surrounding waters, a symphony of life exists, consisting of 19 species of shrimp, 14 species of snails and oysters, and various species of crabs," he added.

Commercially vital fish such as coral, boal, bata, tailla, datina, and kaun are found in abundance. For nearly 3,000 residents of Kutubjom union, these waters are both their grocery store and their bank, as most earn their livelihoods from marine fishing and dried fish processing.

The island contains approximately 30 species of plants, including keora, keya, white bain, black bain, horgoja, and nonia. Environmental activists believe that the recent decision to protect this forest will safeguard the breeding grounds of marine turtles and prevent irreversible damage to the wider ecosystem. 

Declaring the 9,467 acres of forestland a protected area is also expected to curb illegal activities and improve disaster resilience.

Beyond its biodiversity, Sonadia Island hosts substantial reserves of economically valuable heavy minerals, according to a recent study published in Discover Geoscience. The research estimates around 700,000 tonnes of minerals, dominated by garnet (51.52 %) and ilmenite (38.14%), with smaller quantities of magnetite, zircon, rutile, and trace monazite. 

These minerals are more concentrated in sand dunes than along the foreshore, with dunes alone containing over 276,000 tonnes of garnet and 215,000 tonnes of ilmenite.

Garnet is widely used as an industrial abrasive, while ilmenite is a key source of titanium. Although modest compared to earlier regional estimates, experts say even limited commercial extraction could generate significant revenue. 

However, scholars warn that these minerals contain rare earth elements that are highly sought after globally. 

Mohammad Bodruddoza Mia, professor at the Department of Geology, University of Dhaka, cautions against rushing into foreign contracts. "The government should strengthen its own public institutions to study and manage these resources carefully, while avoiding threats to the island's fragile ecosystem," he said.

The scars of progress: Unauthorised destruction

Despite the legal victory of returning the land to the Forest Department, the reality on the ground remains grim. Since 2017, under the shadow of BEZA's acquisition, the island's social and natural fabric has steadily unravelled.

When the entire island came under BEZA's control, basic social services collapsed. Healthcare all but disappeared. For many residents, giving birth now feels like a crime. Saju Begum, a woman with basic health training, has become the island's sole refuge in the absence of doctors, distributing oral saline and painkillers to those in need.

Education has fared no better. The only primary school is located far from many households, and teachers are frequently absent, leaving a generation of children — such as teenager Jainal — unable to study beyond the fifth grade.

The environmental damage is even more visible. Following the lease, organised groups carried out widespread looting of the green belt, felling nearly 70% of the trees, including jhau and keora. Excavators were used to strip soil and flatten land, leading to the construction of shrimp enclosures across 3,000 acres, with another 2,000 acres currently being prepared for expansion.

Perhaps the most pressing concern today is the surge in unauthorised tourism. Since St Martin's Island was closed, tourists have flocked to Sonadia, with roughly 1,000 visitors arriving each month. 

Several resorts — including Sandy Beach Resort, Camp Fire Sonadia, and Marina de Sonadia — have been built illegally by clearing jhau forests. These establishments run generators throughout the night, using red and blue lighting that conservationists warn disrupts the natural behaviour of nesting turtles.

One resort owner, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted that they can already accommodate 100 guests and have confirmed bookings through December, despite the Department of Environment stating that no permission has ever been granted for such structures. 

Abdul Kaiyum, Manager of Nature Conservation Management, warns that if these disturbances are not removed, turtles may stop coming to the beach altogether.

Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner Md A Mannan claimed that the administration is unaware of the issue. "We have not received any such information. However, since you have mentioned it, we will look into the matter," he said.

The Ministry of Land's decision to cancel the allotment is a crucial first step, but forest officials say they are currently unable to take full legal action because the decision has not yet been formally gazetted. 

Chattogram Regional Conservator of Forests Mollah Rezaul Karim explained, "We have not yet taken possession of Sonadia's land. Until it is formally handed over to us, we have no authority to take any action there. At present, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Land."

As the island gradually returns to the Forest Department's jurisdiction, residents and activists alike hope that the law will finally be enforced — and that this rare convergence of mangrove ecology and mineral wealth will be preserved through a long-term plan to restore Sonadia's ecological balance.