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| Protected area |
A protected area is a clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated, and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values. ( IUCN Definition 2008). Protected areas or conservation areas are locations that receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. Protected areas are essential for biodiversity conservation, often providing habitat and protection from hunting for threatened and endangered species. Protection helps maintain ecological processes that cannot survive in most intensely managed landscapes and seascapes. Bangladesh is bestowed with rich biodiversity. For conservation of the same, Protected Areas have been established through Bangladesh since 1973.. The Forest Department can now go for providing inputs properly and timely to increase the effectiveness of the management of our Protected Areas and then the objectives of the PA declaration will be fulfilled. Protected Areas declared under Article 23 of the Bangladesh Wildlife (Preservation) Order, 1973 (henceforth Wildlife Order), Protected areas include Wildlife Sanctuary, National Park, and Game Reserve.
National Park means comparatively large areas of outstanding scenic and natural beauty with the primary object of protection and preservation of scenery, flora, and fauna in the natural state to which access for public recreation and education and research may be allowed.
Wildlife Sanctuary means an area closed to hunting, shooting, or trapping of wild animals and declared as such under Article 23 by the government as undisturbed breeding ground primarily for the protection of wildlife inclusive of all-natural resources such as vegetation soil and water.
Game Reserve means an area declared by the government as such for the protection of wildlife and an increase in the population of important species wherein capturing of wild animals shall be unlawful.
Ecologically Critical Areas (ECAs)
Bangladesh has declared 13 wetlands areas of biodiversity importance as ECAs under section 5 of the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 1995. Table 31 describes the ECAs and Figure 8 shows the location of ECAs in the country. The total area of ECAs managed by the Department of Environment is 384,529 hectares or about 2.60% of the total country.
Protected Areas ( PAs): Bangladesh currently has 40 PAs. Among the PAs, 6 were established before Bangladesh became a party to the CBD, whereas the remaining was established after the signing of the Convention (Table 30). A total of 21 PAs (7 National Parks, 12 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 1 Marine PA, and 1 Special Biodiversity Conservation Area) has been declared by the government to conserve wildlife and their habitats since 2010, after the submission of the Fourth National Report to the CBD. The total area of the newly added 20 forests PA is 33,915.31 hectares. All 38 forest PAs now cover about 10.55% of total forest area which is 1.8% of the total area of the country. The forest PAs managed by Bangladesh Forest Department is shown in figure 7 (two Marine Protected Areas are not shown on the map).
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) The two Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), one in ‘Swatch of No -ground’ of Bay of Bengal, declared under Bangladesh Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act, 2012 and another in ‘Middle Ground and South Patches’ of Bay of Bengal, declared under the Marine Fisheries Ordinance 1983 together comprise 243,600 hectares (2436 sq. km) constituting 2.05% of the total marine area 11,881,300 hectares (118,813 sq.km)
National parks:
(1) Bhawal National Park, Gazipur.
(2) Madhupur National Park, Tangail/ Mymensingh.
( 3) Ramsagar National Park, Dinajpur.
( 4) Himchari National Park, Cox's Bazar.
(5) Lawachara National Park, Moulavibazar.
(6) Kaptai National Park, Chittagong Hill Tracts.
(7) Nijhum Dweep National Park, Noakhali.
(8 )Medhakachhapia National Park, Cox's Bazar.
(9) Satchari National Park, Habigonj.
(10 )Khadimnagar National Park ,Sylhet .
(11 )Baroiyadhala National Park, Chittagong.
(12) Kuakata National Park ,Patuakhali .
(13 )Nababgonj National Park, Dinajpur.
(14) Singra National Park, Dinajpur.
(15) Chandigarh National Park, Mymensingh.
(16) Altadighi National Park, Naogaon.
(17) Birgonj National Park, Dinajpur. Wildlife Sanctuaries
(18 )Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary, Hobigonj.
(19) Char Kukri-Mukri Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhola.
(20) Sundarban (East) Wildlife Sanctuary, Bagerhat.
(21) Sundarban (West) Wildlife Sanctuary, Satkhira.
(22) Sundarban (South) Wildlife Sanctuary, Khulna.
(23) Pablakhali Wildlife Sanctuary, Chittagong Hill Tracts.
(24 )Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary, Chittagong.
(25) Fashiakhali Wildlife Sanctuary, Cox's Bazar.
(26) Dudpukuria-Dhopachari Wildlife Sanctuary, Chittagong.
(27) Hajarikhil Wildlife Sanctuary, Chittagong.
(28) Sangu Wildlife Sanctuary, Bandarban.
(29 )Teknaf Wildlife Sanctuary, Cox's Bazar.
(30 )Tengragiri Wildlife Sanctuary, Barguna.
(31) Dudhmukhi Wildlife Sanctuary, Bagerhat.
(32) Chadpai Wildlife Sanctuary, Bagerhat.
(33) Dhangmari Wildlife Sanctuary, Bagerhat.
(34) Sonarchar Wildlife Sanctuary, Patuakhali.
(35 )Nazirganj Wildlife (Dolphin) Sanctuary, Pabna.
(36 )Shilanda-Nagdemra Wildlife (Dolphin) Sanctuary, Pabna.
(37) Nagarbari-Mohanganj Dolphin Sanctuary, Pabna. Marine Protected Area
(38) Swatch of No-Ground, Bay of Bengal.
(39) Marine Reserve*, Bay of Bengal. Special Biodiversity Conservation Area
( 40 )Ratargul Swamp Forest, Sylhet.
Ecologically Critical Areas (ECAs) of Bangladesh
1) Cox's Bazaar-Teknaf Peninsula (Coastal-Marine), Cox’s Bazar.
2) 2 Sundarbans (10 km landward periphery)Coastal-Marine, Bagerhat, Khulna & Satkhira.
3) St. Martin's Island ( Marine Island with coral reefs) Teknaf upazila, Cox’s Bazar.
4) Hakaluki Haor ( Inland Freshwater Wetland ), Sylhet, and Moulvi Bazar.
5) Sonadia Island (Marine Island), Moheshkhali upazila, Cox’s Bazar.
6) Tanguar Haor( Inland Freshwater Wetland), Moulvi Bazar.
7) Marjat Baron (Oxbow Lake), Kaliganj Upazila of Jhenaidah & Chaugacha Upazila of Jessore.
8) Gulshan-Baridhara Lake (Urban Wetland ), Dhaka city.
9) Buriganga (River), Around Dhaka. 10)Turag( River ), Around Dhaka.
11)Sitalakhya (River), Narayanganj, Dhaka, Gazipur.
12) Balu including Tongi canal( River), Around Dhaka.
13) Jaflong-Dawki (River), Jaflong, Sylhet.
Botanical Gardens, Safari Parks and Eco-parks
The Bangladesh Forest Department administers a couple of botanical gardens, safari parks, and several eco-parks in different parts of the country. Although these sites are mostly used for recreational purposes, they also harbor a diverse community of flora and fauna. A number of the captive breeding program is being implemented in the Safari Parks, including threatened species like Crocodiles, Gharials, Batagur turtles, Vultures, Hog deer, Sambar, Goat antelope, and Clouded leopard. The total area of Botanical gardens and the eco-park is 9,434.18 hectare which is 0.06% of the total country. Botanical Gardens,
Safari Parks, and Eco-Parks :
1) Balda Garden, Dhaka.
2) National Botanical Garden, Dhaka.
3) Dulahazara Safari Parks( Mixed, Evergreen) Cox’s Bazaar.
4) Sitakunda Botanical Garden & Eco Park (Mixed Evergreen), Chittagong.
5) Madhabkunda Eco Park( Mixed, Evergreen, Natural habitat, vegetation, wildlife), Moulvibazaar.
6) Madhutila Eco Park( Deciduous Forest Natural habitat, vegetation, wildlife) Sherpur.
7) Banshkhali Eco-Park( Mixed Evergreen Natural habitat, vegetation, wildlife)Chittagong.
8) Kuakata Eco-Park ( Natural habitat, vegetation, wildlife) Patuakhali.
9) Tilagar Eco-Park (Mixed Evergreen Natural habitat, vegetation, wildlife)Sylhet.
10) Borshijora Eco-Park( Mixed Evergreen Natural habitat, vegetation, wildlife)Moulavibazar.
11) Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park (Deciduous Forest, Education, recreation, wildlife, species ), Gazipur.
{Source:; * Marine Fisheries Ordinance No. 35 of 1983, DoF, 2000, Bangladesh Forest Department (http://www.bforest.gov.bd/index.php/protected-areas; accessed on 29 December 2014); *http://www.thedailystar.net/swatch-of-no-ground-declared-protected-zone-48550 }
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