Coming soon — first Sundarbans harvests this winter · Free delivery across Bangladesh +880 1743-724092 contact@jhalok.com
10,277 km²
Total area — the largest mangrove forest on Earth
6,017 km²
Inside Bangladesh — about 60% of the forest
125
Royal Bengal tigers in Bangladesh's part (2024 survey)
334
Plant species recorded
290
Bird species
1997
UNESCO World Heritage Site (Ramsar wetland since 1992)
Why it matters
Shared by Bangladesh and India, the Sundarbans sits where the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers meet the Bay of Bengal. Every day it does three jobs that no wall or machine can replace.
Its dense roots slow down storm surges and break the force of cyclones before they reach coastal villages in Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat.
Royal Bengal tigers, spotted deer, saltwater crocodiles, Irrawaddy and Ganges river dolphins, 290 kinds of birds and 219 aquatic species.
Mouals collect honey, gaachis tap golpata, and fishers catch fish and crab. In Shyamnagar alone, 23,928 fishers are registered to work in the forest.
Nature's sea wall
A World Bank study tested how Bangladesh's mangroves hold back the sea. The strongest was the keora (Sonneratia apetala) — the same tree whose fruit becomes our keora pickle.
29–92%
slower inflow of storm water through keora forest
1.5–4 m
height of storm surges on Bangladesh's coast
Every metre of healthy mangrove makes embankments cheaper to build and gives families more time to reach a cyclone shelter.
Each time, the forest absorbed damage that would otherwise have fallen on people's homes.
Good news — protection works
Camera-trap surveys in Bangladesh's Sundarbans counted 106 tigers in 2015, 114 in 2018 and 125 in 2024 — a rise of about 18% in nine years. Fewer poachers and stronger patrols made the difference.
The fight isn't over: the same survey found the Satkhira range — right beside Shyamnagar — saw the biggest drop, because of poaching of tigers and the spotted deer they hunt.
What is hurting the forest
Cutting sundari, gewa and keora trees for timber and firewood destroys habitat and opens gaps in the coastline's natural wall.
Pesticide poured into canals kills every fish, crab and shrimp in the water — and poisons the birds, otters and people who eat them.
Hunting spotted deer leaves tigers without food and pushes them toward villages. Tiger poaching still happens in the Satkhira range.
In December 2014 a tanker sank in the Shela river and spilled about 358,000 litres of furnace oil into the forest. Heavy shipping keeps that risk alive.
Bottles, bags and nets wash into the forest from rivers and tourist boats, trapping animals and choking mangrove roots.
Less fresh river water and rising seas make the soil saltier, weakening trees like sundari. Stronger storms then hit a weaker forest.
The forest's rest time
For three months, no fishing, no collecting and no tourists are allowed in the Sundarbans. June and July are when most fish, crabs and other water animals breed. Respecting this break is how there will still be fish and crab next year.
Closed for breeding · Jhalok collects nothing in these months
Simple things anyone can do
Never buy illegal timber. No furniture, boats or firewood made from Sundarbans trees.
Say no to wildlife products. Never buy deer meat, tiger parts or wild birds.
Choose honest, legal products. Ask who collected it, when, and with which permit.
Travel with licensed operators and follow your guide's rules.
Keep plastic out of the rivers. Bring your waste back with you.
Respect the closed season, 1 June – 31 August every year.
Report forest crimes. Tell the local Forest Department office about logging, poaching or poison fishing.
Plant and protect mangroves. Join coastal planting drives and care for young saplings.
Share what you learn. Send this page to one friend today.
Our part
We depend on the Sundarbans, so protecting it is part of our work, not an extra.
খাঁটির নিশ্চয়তা, ঝলক-এর অঙ্গীকার।
We collect only in the official seasons, never during the closed months.
We never use, buy or show illegally cut Sundarbans wood.
We buy directly from local collectors and pay them fairly.
We plan to support mangrove planting along the coast as we grow.
আমরা সুন্দরবনের খাঁটি মধু, মাছ, কাঁকড়া আর কেওড়ার আচার নিয়ে কাজ করছি। পণ্যগুলো নিয়মিত পেতে চাইলে আমাদের সাথে যুক্ত হোন।
খাঁটির নিশ্চয়তা, ঝলক-এর অঙ্গীকার।
নতুন মৌসুমের খবর আর পণ্য আসার তারিখ সরাসরি আপনার হোয়াটসঅ্যাপে।
চ্যানেলে যুক্ত হোন