Mongla, July 30 (V7N) — A tiger-themed awareness rally and a friendly football match were held Wednesday afternoon at the Mithakhali Bazaar field in Mongla to mark Global Tiger Day and promote conservation efforts for the Sundarbans and its endangered wildlife.
 
The event was jointly organized by Dharitri Rokkhay Amra (DHORA), Pashur River Waterkeeper, Waterkeepers Bangladesh, and WildTeam. It aimed to raise public awareness on the urgent need to protect the Bengal tiger and the Sundarbans — the world’s largest mangrove forest and critical tiger habitat.
 
The inaugural ceremony was presided over by environmental activist Md. Nur Alam Sheikh, a central figure of DHORA and the Pashur River Waterkeeper. The chief guest was BNP's Central Secretary for Research Affairs and General Secretary of Arafat Rahman Koko Krira Sangshad, agriculturist Mohammad Shamimur Rahman Shamim.
 
Other notable attendees included Abdul Mannan Hawlader, President of Mongla Upazila BNP; Bir Muktijoddha Sheikh Abu Hanif; sports personality and BNP leader Sheikh Rustam Ali; BNP leader Emran Hossain; Upazila Jubo Dal convener M. Saiful Islam; Shah Alam Sheikh, President of Mongla chapter of Koko Krira Sangshad; athletes Rakibul Islam, Mehedi Hasan Sabuj, and Sohel Hawlader; DHORA organizer Nazmul Haque; environmentalist Hasib Sardar; Mehedi Hasan Babu of Badabon Sangha; Pashur Waterkeeper volunteer Mehedi Hasan; and student leaders Sheikh Shubho and Moin Uddin.
 
In his keynote speech, Mohammad Shamimur Rahman Shamim stressed the need for widespread awareness to combat illegal tiger poaching and smuggling networks operating in the region. He also urged local communities to become allies of tiger conservation by resolving the longstanding human-tiger conflict in areas surrounding the Sundarbans.
 
The awareness rally featured a symbolic tiger parade performed by WildTeam’s VTRT members, followed by a friendly football match between teams from Mithakhali Union and Chandpai Union.
 
Before kickoff, Shamim formally inaugurated a month-long tree-planting campaign organized by DHORA and Waterkeepers Bangladesh, held at the courtyard of Mithakhali Bazaar Mosque.
 
The event highlighted the importance of community-driven conservation to ensure the survival of Bengal tigers and preserve the ecological integrity of the Sundarbans for future generations.
 
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