BANGLADESH WILDLIFE: A CALL TO ARREST ITS DECLINATION THROUGH REMEDIAL POLICIES AND MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Bangladesh, located between latitudes 20°34' to 26°38' north and longitudes 88°01' to 92°41' east, is the most densely populated country in the world with 1,252 people per one square kilometre; this is almost three times as dense as its neighbour, India (Ritchie, 2020), other than the island countries like Singapore, and others. So, Bangladesh is not likely to have a large array of wildlife, including both megafauna and macrofauna, and flora. However, because of its very zoo-geographic location in the Indo-Malayan realm of the Oriental Region (Cox, 2001), Bangladesh supports at least three major terrestrial habitats and similar number of aquatic environments. These have allowed the country to have astounding number of wildlife and plants, e.g., about 125 species of Mammals, 718 species of Birds, 2500 species of arthropods and 5700 species of vascular plants. However, it is not satisfied status because already lost few charismatic megafaunas such as, all three species of Asian rhinoceroses, water buffalo, swamp deer, two species of peafowls, swamp partridge, Bhadi Hans (white-winged duck, Khan, 1983a, 1983b, 2003), marsh crocodile, etc. Existing study posits that the country has already lost about 10% of its mammals, 3% birds and 4% of reptile species and an unknown number of amphibians, fishes, and invertebrates as well as plants. Another 14% of animal species are endangered (Khan, 2012). The same may very well be true for the plants.Currently the Forest Department, which has its own forestry policy from as early as 1979, has failed to develop such a policy for wildlife although it is trying to manage the wildlife of the country from the inception of Bangladesh in 1971.The department lacks in right workforce trained in wildlife with proper degree in relevant subjects. A few  people that work there does not see progressions in their service carrier.The wildlife conservation policy followed round the world does not conform to the forestry policy of Bangladesh.So, Bangladesh must have a concrete wildlife and its sustainable management policy to conserve the wildlife wealth through creating a proper wildlife department to implement such a policy and save the wildlife from further killing or loss of wildlife through managerial failures or mismanagement.