Sultan Salahuddin Tuku, state minister for Fisheries and Livestock, has said that the need to build public awareness and instill a conservation mindset among the younger generation to protect tigers, a vital species and key part of biodiversity.
He made the remarks while speaking to reporters after a rally on Wednesday at the Bangladesh National Zoo marking World Tiger Day.
Highlighting the alarming global decline, the minister said that about a century ago there were 100,000 tigers worldwide, but the number has now dropped to around 5,000. “If we do not act immediately and raise awareness, this species will face an even deeper crisis,” he warned.
On the Royal Bengal Tiger population in the Sundarbans, he said there are currently 124 in the mangrove forest, about 15 at the National Zoo, and around 50 in other zoos nationwide.
Calling tigers a national asset, he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring future generations can learn about and preserve them.
Responding to questions on budget and census transparency, Tuku clarified that tiger census work is carried out by the Forest Department, not his ministry, and is conducted transparently under established procedures.
Following the event, the minister inaugurated the National Zoo’s gift shop.
Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Md Delwar Hossain, Director General of the Department of Livestock Services Md Shahzaman Khan, National Zoo Director Md Shahinoor Alam, Curator Md Habibur Rahman, Bangladesh Animal Welfare Association Convenor Adnan Azad, and senior officials from the ministry and the zoo attended the programme.
