Protection and preservation of the Sundarbans, world's largest mangrove forest, is being hampered due to the forest department's chronic shortage of manpower and logistics with almost 30 percent posts lying vacant.
Five patrolling camps have already been shut down due to the manpower crisis. There is only one guard for every nine square kilometers of the forest. However, many of them are on the edge of retirement or physically unfit for the job due to their age.
The forest department's activities in the Sundarbans including averting smuggling of forest resources and poaching are being severely hindered.
Md Amir Hossain Chowdhury, conservator of forest, Khulna circle, told the news agency that currently 344 among the 1,172 sanctioned posts are vacant. As a result, boatmen are playing the role of forest guards.
Foresters, forest guards and boatmen mainly serve to conserve the forest, but 27 posts of foresters, 14 posts of forest guards and 142 posts of boatmen are lying vacant. Next year, when many will retire, the number of vacant posts will increase further, said Amir.
According to sources, there are 17 stations and 61 patrolling camps across the Sundarbans' four ranges -- Sharankhola, Chandpai, Khulna and Satkhira.
Two to three staffers are required to run each patrolling camp, therefore, it is becoming tougher for the forest department to guard the Sundarbans regularly and protect forest resources, said Md Mahamudul Hassan, divisional forest officer (DFO) of the East region of the Sundarbans.
Meanwhile, many forest guards demand modern firearms as they have to spend day and night in the deep forest facing various challenges.
Talking to the news agency, Dr Mahmud Hossain, professor of forestry and wood technology department at Khulna University, noted that the Sundarbans works as a safeguard for the people of Southern region of the country against natural disasters.
As the forest guards play the key role to protect the Sundarbans' resources, the manpower must be increased to make their presence sufficient, he said.
The Sundarbans, covering an area of 6,017 square kilometers, was recognised in 1997 as a Unesco World Heritage Site of Bangladesh. Even though, the government has declared more than half of its area wildlife sanctuary, the shortage of manpower and modern logistic supply can turn it into a sanctuary for smugglers and poachers as well.
