Eleven citizens of the country in a statement on Wednesday expressed their concerns over repeated fire incidents in Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world.
The statement said that the fire which erupted in the Amurbunia area of the Chandpai range in the Sundarbans East Zone on May 4 was extinguished after three days, during which time it inflicted significant damage on the area’s complex ecosystem, wildlife, and forest resources.
The statement called for forming a probe committee to investigate such destruction in the forest.
Citing the government data, the statement noted that around 75 acres of forest in the area had been damaged in 26 fire incidents over the past 24 years, indicating that these incidents are not isolated.
The statement highlighted the fact that out of 24 investigation reports, 15 mentioned that fires possibly started by foresters may have sparked the blazes, and called for an investigation to determine if this fire is connected to land grabbing and wildlife killing in the Sundarbans.
Given the repeated occurrence of such incidents, it is crucial to investigate the cause and obtain accurate information to identify and hold those involved accountable if the fires are found to be man-made, the statement read.
The citizens included, among others, Human Rights activist Sultana Kamal, educationist and social activist Rasheda K Chowdhury, professor Anu Muhammad and Dharitri Rakshay Amra member secretary Sharif Jamil.
