The Sundarbans

The Sundarbans, with an area of ​​6,016 sq km in Bangladesh, is the largest delta in the world, the longest saline wetland and a very important ecosystem rich in biodiversity. There are 334 species of plants and 365 species of wildlife, including 35 species of reptiles, 315 species of birds, 42 species of mammals and the world famous Royal Bengal Tiger. Major reptile species include saltwater crocodiles, pythons, cobras, guisaps, sea snakes, chameleons, turtles and others. About 30 species of snakes are found in the Sundarbans. The Sundarbans was declared as the 560th Ramsar Area in 1992 as all the features of the Ramsar area exist as a wetland. The Sundarbans was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996. Evidence of the existence of the Sundarbans dates back to ancient times. Historians believe that the Sundarbans originated in the Gangetic delta region about two thousand years ago. The existence of the Sundarbans is also found in the travel stories of a missionary named Nicholas Pimenta. In the evolution of time, the world's single largest mangrove forest has been brought under scientific management. The East India Company acquired the ownership of the Sundarbans from the Mughal Emperor Alamgir II in 1757 and surveyed and mapped it by the Surveyor General in 174. After the establishment of the Forest Department in Bengal, the Forest Act in 175-16 The Sundarbans is declared a protected forest. In 189, the Sundarbans was transferred from the district administration to the newly created Forest Management Department in Khulna, and the first survey was conducted in the Sundarbans in 1969-63. He recommended the enactment of a law on the conservation of the Sundarbans and the extraction of trees. (Source: Rahman-2000, History of the Sundarbans - FM Abdul Jalil) There are launches at night and in the morning. By Road: Khulna Kheke can be reached by bus to the Sundarbans.