Bagerhat: Locals here on Monday urged the government to observe Sundarbans Day nationally aiming to make people aware of the world’s largest mangrove forest.

They came up with the call at a discussion held at the local press club marking the Sundarbans Day.

Several environmental organisations took various programmes to observe the day here to raise awareness among people about the importance of the mangrove forest.

Local lawmaker Mir Shawkat Ali Badsha, additional deputy commissioner Mohammad Mamun-Ul Hasan, divisional forest officer M Saidul Islam, local press club president Shah Alam Tuku and general secretary M Kamruzzaman and Prof M Mozaffar Hossain, among others, spoke at the discussion.  

Later, the Forest Department compensated the families of the victims who were killed or injured in attacks by wildlife, including tigers. Shawkat Ali handed over cheques to them.  

Sundarbans Day is unofficially observed on 14 February since 2002 with various programmes.

At the Jatiya Sundarbans Conference in 2001, it was decided to observe 14 February as Sundarbans Day alongside Valentine’s Day.  

Though the green activists have been demanding to observe it nationally, it remained unheeded for the last 15 years.

The Sundarbans is the country’s lone natural tiger habitat and Irawaddy dolphin, a critically endangered species.