Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed today announced that Bangladesh Police, Coast Guard, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the Forest Department are working in coordination to ensure overall security in the Sundarbans and coastal areas. This includes the safety of fishermen, people engaged in various Sundarbans-based professions, and tourists. The Naval Police, in coordination with the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Coast Guard, local administration, and the Forest Department, has been assisting in special operations under the “Restore Peace in Sundarbans” campaign to combat pirates and forest bandits.
The minister said that plans are also underway to further strengthen coordinated patrols to maintain law and order in the Sundarbans and adjoining areas. BGB remains vigilant to ensure security across the Sundarbans and the entire coastal region, suppress forest banditry and piracy, protect wildlife and natural resources, and prevent smuggling. BGB has been equipped with modern high-speed patrol boats, fast interceptor craft, Metal Shark boats, and radar surveillance systems to strengthen coordinated joint patrols along waterways.
To prevent the smuggling of drugs, arms, and wildlife through sensitive rivers and estuaries of the Sundarbans, BGB is conducting round-the-clock joint block raids and mobile patrols at vulnerable points. The government is committed to keeping the Sundarbans free from piracy and ensuring its safety through BGB’s integrated intelligence surveillance. The Bangladesh Coast Guard has been playing a leading role in protecting the country’s maritime waters.
Particularly in the remote rivers and canals of the Sundarbans, the Coast Guard regularly conducts patrols, surveillance, and operations to prevent crimes and ensure the safety of the lives and property of forest-dependent people and fishermen. As part of these continued efforts, joint operations titled “Operation Mangrove Shield” and “Operation Restore Peace in Sundarbans” are being conducted by Bangladesh Coast Guard in coordination with Bangladesh Police, BGB, and the Forest Department.
Through these operations, the Coast Guard is coordinating with other agencies to conduct regular patrols, exchange intelligence, and undertake joint operations when necessary. As a result, efforts are continuing to further strengthen security and ensure a crime-free environment in the Sundarbans and coastal areas, the minister said. The Sundarbans, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a critical ecological and economic resource for Bangladesh, making the security efforts vital for both environmental preservation and the livelihoods of local communities.
