Honey hunting in the Sundarbans | The Business Standard
Skip to main content
  • Latest
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • Subscribe
    • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Honey hunting in the Sundarbans

The forest itself is a challenge, navigating through dense mangroves in search of bee hives requires a high level of skill and experience. 
Honey hunting in the Sundarbans

In Focus

Saad Abdullah
16 April, 2021, 10:35 am
Last modified: 16 April, 2021, 01:36 pm

Related News

  • Drop of poison, sea of consequences: How poison fishing is wiping out Sundarbans’ ecosystems and livelihoods
  • Govt to formulate action plan to protect Sundarbans: Rizwana
  • 10-feet python rescued in Khulna, released into Sundarbans
  • 3-month ban on fishing, tourism in Sundarbans from 1 June
  • Sundarbans inundated by rain, tidal surge

Honey hunting in the Sundarbans

The forest itself is a challenge, navigating through dense mangroves in search of bee hives requires a high level of skill and experience. 

Saad Abdullah
16 April, 2021, 10:35 am
Last modified: 16 April, 2021, 01:36 pm

For generations, villagers living around the Sundarbans have been collecting wild honey from April to June every year. Searching for honey in the mangroves is not an easy task. The forest itself is a challenge, navigating through dense mangroves in search of bee hives requires a high level of skill and experience. 

Buffalo horn is used for signalling fellow mouals. Photo: Saad Abdullah
Buffalo horn is used for signalling fellow mouals. Photo: Saad Abdullah

Also, there are venomous snakes inside the forest. In the muddy waters of Sundarbans lives the saltwater crocodile. The biggest danger in the mangroves is the Bengal tiger. Just four days ago, a honey collector was mauled to death by a tiger in the Satkhira range of the Sundarbans. Two days later in a separate event, another moual (honey collector) was injured in a tiger attack, but was lucky enough to be rescued by fellow mouals. 

This year I got a chance to visit the honey hunters and see the process of collecting wild honey. 

The Business Standard Google News Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel

Prayer for the honey collectors' wellbeing. Photo: Saad Abdullah
Prayer for the honey collectors' wellbeing. Photo: Saad Abdullah

We boarded a tourist vessel on the afternoon of March 30 from Khulna and started cruising towards the western part of Sundarbans. After cruising for six to seven hours, we stopped near Nalian for overnight stay. 

The next day we resumed our journey early in the morning and reached Burigoalini in Shyamnagar Upazila in Satkhira in the early afternoon. Later that afternoon we visited the honey collectors in the village who were preparing for their honey hunting journey. We saw their traditional prayer which is held for the wellbeing and success of the honey collectors. 

Lighting torch made from leaves to generate smoke. Photo: Saad Abdullah
Lighting torch made from leaves to generate smoke. Photo: Saad Abdullah

On the morning of April 1, we visited a forest range office where the honey collectors gathered to collect their pass. About 200 boats collected pass, each boat consisting of seven to eight people. After getting the pass the honey collectors started racing towards the forest in search of beehives. 

We followed a group of honey collectors to see the collection process. We cruised for around two hours, and then stopped near a canal and entered the jungle with the honey collectors. We walked through dense mangroves, canals for around two hours. 

Using smoke to keep the bees away. Photo: Saad Abdullah
Using smoke to keep the bees away. Photo: Saad Abdullah

Meanwhile the honey collectors found two beehives but they were not suitable for collection so we came back to our vessel. In the afternoon we followed the honey collectors again but as we were getting off from the boat, suddenly we were attacked by bees. 

We panicked and hurriedly got onto the boat trying to escape that place. But our effort was not successful as some of our teammates had several bee stings. So, we had to come back to our launch. 

In the early morning the next day, we entered the forest again after the honey collectors, they were divided into teams to find as many beehives as they could. They were using different shouts and buffalo horn to communicate. 

Cutting the honeycomb. Photo: Saad Abdullah
Cutting the honeycomb. Photo: Saad Abdullah

After walking through dense mangrove for 10 to 15 minutes they found a beehive in a tree branch. We covered ourselves as much as we could and cautiously reached the beehive. There were thousands of wild bees in that hive. 

The honey collectors gathered some leaves and made torches out of them to generate smoke. Once the smoke forced the bees to fly away one of them quickly climbed the tree and started cutting the honeycombs. They gathered the pieces in a bamboo basket. Although the smoke forced the bees away, some stayed and attacked some of us. Then we quickly left that place and started searching again. 

Prized harvest. Photo: Saad Abdullah
Prized harvest. Photo: Saad Abdullah

Our search continued till noon and we found three more beehives. Throughout the search the honey collectors were shouting and bursting crackers to scare away the tigers in that area. At noon we returned to our vessel. But on the way to our vessel, we met a group of fishermen who told us that they saw a tiger nearby that morning. 

We felt relieved that we didn't face it and came back safely. After lunch we left the honey collectors who would stay another 13 days in the jungle in search of honey. We started our cruise in the afternoon and reached Khulna the next day. 

This was an amazing adventure to see the process of collecting wild honey so closely. Definitely it was an experience of a lifetime.

Top News

Honey hunting / Sundarbans / collecting wild honey

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Representational image
    In addition to 35% tariff, US demands 40% local value addition for 'Made in Bangladesh' goods
  • Bangladesh and US hold tariff talks on 11 July 2025. Photo: CA Press Wing
    Dhaka, Washington to continue inter-ministerial dialogue as tariff talks end without full consensus
  • After indias visa restriction, China's Kunming is drawing bangladeshi patients
    After indias visa restriction, China's Kunming is drawing bangladeshi patients

MOST VIEWED

  • In terms of stream of education, girls maintained their excellence as well. Photo: TBS
    SSC 2025: Girls dominate boys by over 5%
  • Photo: Mohammad Minhaj Uddin/TBS
    SSC, equivalent results: Pass rate drops to 68.45%, GPA-5 also declines
  • The overall pass rate across all boards this year, 68.45%, is significantly lower than last year's. Photo: Focus Bangla
    SSC 2025: Rajshahi board records highest pass rate, Barishal lowest
  • How S Alam’s Global Islami Bank cooked Tk2,259cr loss into Tk128cr profit
    How S Alam’s Global Islami Bank cooked Tk2,259cr loss into Tk128cr profit
  • Representational image. Photo: TBS
    SSC 2025: 73.63% pass rate among technical students, 68.09% at Madrasahs
  • Economist Abul Barkat; Photo: Courtesy
    Economist Abul Barkat arrested in graft case

Related News

  • Drop of poison, sea of consequences: How poison fishing is wiping out Sundarbans’ ecosystems and livelihoods
  • Govt to formulate action plan to protect Sundarbans: Rizwana
  • 10-feet python rescued in Khulna, released into Sundarbans
  • 3-month ban on fishing, tourism in Sundarbans from 1 June
  • Sundarbans inundated by rain, tidal surge

Features

After indias visa restriction, China's Kunming is drawing bangladeshi patients

After indias visa restriction, China's Kunming is drawing bangladeshi patients

12h | Panorama
Photo: Collected/BBC

What Hitler’s tariff policy misfire can teach the modern world

1d | The Big Picture
Illustration: TBS

Behind closed doors: Why women in Bangladesh stay in abusive marriages

1d | Panorama
Purbachl’s 144-acre Sal forest is an essential part of the area’s biodiversity. Within it, 128 species of plants and 74 species of animals — many of them endangered — have been identified. Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain/TBS

A forest saved: Inside the restoration of Purbachal's last Sal grove

1d | Panorama

More Videos from TBS

Renowned economist Abul Barkat imprisoned

Renowned economist Abul Barkat imprisoned

11h | TBS Today
All of Iran's uranium still intact, Israel claims

All of Iran's uranium still intact, Israel claims

10h | TBS World
Trump-Netanyahu in new strategy on Gaza issue

Trump-Netanyahu in new strategy on Gaza issue

12h | TBS World
Shocking science: why birds stay safe on electricity lines

Shocking science: why birds stay safe on electricity lines

13h | TBS Stories
The Business Standard
Top
  • Home
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • About Us
  • Bangladesh
  • International
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Economy
  • Sitemap
  • RSS

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net

Copyright © 2025 THE BUSINESS STANDARD All rights reserved. Technical Partner: RSI Lab