Royal Bengal tigers are natives of Sundarbans, an expansive area covering more than 10,000 square kilometers (over 3,860 square miles) 60% of which is in Bangladesh. According to Bangladesh's Forest Department, 38 tigers have died in the last two decades, many due to run-ins with humans. The population of Bengal tigers in the Bangladeshi part of Sundarbans increased to 114 from 106 in 2018, according to the Forest Department. Rising salinity levels in Sundarbans, frequent cyclones due to climate change, and the rising sea level in coastal areas pose additional threats to the pride of Bangladesh, the Royal Bengal tigers, said Kumar. However, he claimed that power plant projects would not affect the biodiversity of Sundarbans or the endangered tigers' habitat according to the government's assessment on the projects.

Source: The Nation July 28, 2021 11:37 UTC