Forest Conservation
Dr Mahfuzul Haque
Types of forests
1. Mangrove Forests (the Sundarbans)
2. Tropical Rain Forests (CHT)
3. Dissiduous Forests (Sal ban in
Madhupur)
Forestry Plans and
policies
 Forestry Policy 1994
 Forestry Master Plan (1995-2015)
Forest legislation
 The Forest Act, 1927
 Brick Burning (Control) Act, 1989
 Bangladesh Wildlife (Preservation) Order, 1973
puts a ban on hunting, killing or capturing of “game
animal”; damage or destroy any vegetation in a wildlife
sanctuary, cause any fire, pollute water through the
sanctuary etc.
 Rules to Regulate Hunting, Shooting and
Fishing within the Controlled and Vested
Forests, 1959
Wildlife preservation
Clause 23 of Bangladesh Wildlife
(Preservation) Order, 1973 made
provisions for declaring an area as
 a) Wildlife Sanctuary
 b) National Park
 c) Game Reserve
for protection of biodiversity and wildlife of
the area.
Legal provisions
 In a Wildlife Sanctuary, no person can enter or
reside, cultivate, damage or destroy, hunt, kill
or capture, introduce exotic species or
domestic animal, cause fire or pollute the
water.
 In a National Park no person can hunt, kill,
capture wild life, cause fire or pollute the
waters
 In a Game Reserve, hunting and shooting of
wild animals under a special permit is allowed.
Wildlife Sanctuary
1. Sundarbans East
Wildlife Sanctuary
2. Sundarbans South
Wildlife Sanctuary
3. Sundarbans West
Wildlife Sanctuary
4. Rema-Kalenga
Wildlife Sanctuary
5. Char Kukri-Mukri
Wildlife Sanctuary
6. Pablakhali Wildlife
Sanctuary
7. Chunati Wildlife
Sanctuary
National Park
1. Modhupur National
Park
2. Bhawal National
Park
3. Himchhari National
Park
4. Lawachhara
National Park
5. Ramsagar National
Park
6. Kaptai National
Park
7. Nijhoom Dwip
National Park
8. Medha Kachopia
National Park
Game reserve
 Teknaf Game Reserve, Cox’s Bazar
Botanical Gardens
1. National Botanical Garden, Dhaka
2. Baldha Garden, Dhaka
3. Botanical Garden and Eco-Park,
Sitakund, Chittagong
Eco-Parks
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Madhab Kundu Eco-Park
Muraichhara Eco-Park
Gazani Abokash Kendro Eco-Park
Modhutila Eco-Park
Banshkhali Eco-Park
Safari park
 Dulahazra Safari Park on ChittagongCox’s Bazar highway has been providing
education and recreation to visitors.
Nishorgo Project
Five pilot projects of Nishorgo:
1. Remakalenga Wildlife Sanctuary,
Habiganj
2. Satchhari National Park, Habiganj
3. Lawachhara National Park, Moulavi
bazar
4. Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary, Chittagong
5. Teknaf Game Reserve, Cox’s Bazar
Debate over how to
conserve the forest
 The Forest Act, 1927 and Bangladesh Wildlife
(Preservation) Order, 1973 treat everybody as
“encroachers”.
 However, there is no “PA Management Plan” in
place
 Nishorgo Program for Protected Area (PA)
Management, forest dwellers and local
stakeholders are treated as “co-managers” of
the PA with the FD.
Challenges Ahead
 What should be the components of the
Forest policy for a forest-poor country like
Bangladesh?
 Who will conserve the forests?
 What about the forest dwellers?
 What about the indigenous peoples living
in the forests?
 Political commitment?
THANK YOU