The 14^th century Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta wrote in his chronicles that Bangladeshis referred to their country as “a hell crammed with blessings.” Present day Bangladeshis, suffering from arsenic poisoning, severe poverty, floods, famine and disease, will probably not contend the first part, or for that sake the fact that Bangladesh is “crammed”, being one of the most heavily populated countries in the world.  The people, however, still cling desperately to whatever blessings remain in their homeland, of which include their unique ecosystems and biological diversity.

Bangladesh is a tropical country with an area of 144,000 sq km and a total population of 114,800,000 (1990). Three types of forests exist in Bangladesh: the evergreen and semi-evergreen rainforests in the eastern region and in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region; the moist and dry deciduous forests, known as `SAL' forests, situated in the central plains and the northeast region; and the tidal mangrove forests situated along the coast.  The tidal mangroves are currently under threat, with steps being taken to save them. In the meantime, the annual deforestation rate has reached 3.3 percent.

World’s Largest Mangrove

Sunderban, the largest mangrove in the world, is located in the southeast region of the country, on the border between India and Bangladesh. It is fed by a hydrological network of fresh water belonging to the Ganges watershed, and the salty water of the Bay of Bengal. It is the unique natural habitat of the world famous Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris), spectacular spotted deer (Axix axix), jungle fowl (gallus sp.) and rhesus monkey (Macaca mulata). Over 270 species of birds have been recorded in the Sunderban including 95 species of waterfowl. Common residents include Phalacrocorax niger, Anhinga melanogaster, Ardeola grayii, Bubulcus ibis, Butorides straiatus, Egretta gargetta, Esacus recurvirostrism and Sterna acuticauda.

The area is also ecologically important as a staging and wintering area for migratory shore birds, gulls and terns.

The water bodies of Sunderban support a very rich and diverse fish fauna of which 120 species are of commercial importance. The most important species are Eleutheronema tetradactylum, Polynemus paradiseus, Liza tada, Mystus gulio, Hilsa ilsha, Ilisha megaloptera, Cailia ranncarati, Lata cacarifer, Septipinna phasa and Thrysa purava.

A number of commercially important plants such as Heritiera fomem, Sonneratia apetala, Excoecaria agallocha, Typha elephantine and Nypa fruticans grow in the Sunderban. This forest has been an important source of timber, fuel wood, pulpwood and many minor forest products like thatching materials, honey, wax and fish. It also provides employment for thousands of woodcutters, fishermen and others who collect Goolpata (Nypa fruticans) and wild honey.

It’s a Bird!

There are many birds in Bangladesh. Among them, Doel or the magpie robin is the national bird of Bangladesh, one of the more familiar birds around Bangladeshi towns and villages.

Shy, silent and unobtrusive during non-breeding season, then skulking in shrubbery and only uttering a plaintive swee-ee and harsh chur-r, the Shalik (myna) is also a very common bird in Bangladesh. The common myna is about the size of an American robin. Its color ranges from rich wine-brown on the lower breast to deep black on the head, neck, and upper breast. It has a splash of white on the lower edge of its wings, and its bill and legs are a bright yellow.

The machhhranga or the Kingfisher is very common in riverine Bangladesh. Nine varieties of kingfishers have been recorded here including the brown-winged, white-collared, black-capped and rare ruddy kingfisher.

The Kaththokra or the woodpecker can be found in twenty-two species in the country, especially in the Sunderban. The red cockaded woodpecker is becoming rare and identified as a vulnerable group, which is a classification just under endangered.

Chittagong

The Chittagong Hill Tracts comprise 14,000 square kilometers, which represent about 10 percent of the country area. Some of the major species in these forests grow to gigantic heights and diameters. The tallest part of the canopy is generally formed by deciduous and semi-deciduous trees while the understorey is of the evergreen type. Bamboo formations and savannah are also present. Several important species of mammals inhabit the area: elephants, bison, deer, leopards and the symbolic Royal Bengal Tiger. Birds such as the imperial pigeon, the green pigeon, and the white-winged wood duck are also present.

On the down side, most of the rivers in Bangladesh are drying up. For this reason most of the species of fish are endangered. To grow more crops to supply the food of a burgeoning population, irrigation is going on using underground water, especially in winter, Bangladesh’s dry season. Underground water is contaminated with huge amounts of arsenic forming a major health problem for the Bangladeshi population. Huge numbers of people are suffering arsenic-related diseases, most of whom have died.

Mohammad Abul Hosein is a Bangladeshi journalist working for the Daily Manabzamin in Dhaka, Bangladesh.  You can reach him at: ahossain69@yahoo.com.  

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