Princess of Denmark to visit Sundarbans, forest closed to tourists for two days
Crown Princess Mary Elizabeth Donaldson is to visit Shyamnagar in Satkhira and the Sundarbans and so the West Sundarban Satkhira range has been closed to tourists on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Also, on these two days, no fishermen, woodsmen or honey collectors will be allowed to enter the forest afresh. Conservator of Forest of West Sundarbans Satkhira range, MA Hasan, made this announcement on Monday.
The forest conservator MA Hasan said that Princess Mary Elizabeth Donaldson will visit Shyamnagar of Satkhira district on Wednesday. She will visit the Sundarbans during this visit and talk to officials of the forest department. The Satkhira range has halted entry of tourists to the Sundarbans on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of security measures for the princess.
He said that during these two days no one will be able to travel to the Sundarbans through the Burigoalini and Munshiganj posts or enter the Kalagachhi and Dobeki tourist centres.
The fishermen, woodsmen and honey collectors who are already in the Sundarbans will be allowed to stay during those days, under supervision of the law enforcement agencies.
From Thursday, things will be back to normal and people will be allowed to visit the forest and the honey collectors and others will be permitted to go about their work.
According to the trip schedule provided by the Satkhira information centre, Princess Mary Elizabeth Donaldsan will arrive by an NGO's helicopter at 9:30 Wednesday morning at Tiger Point, in Munshiganj union of Shyamnagar upazila.
She will travel by road from there to inspect climate resilient agriculture at Kultali in Munshiganj union. She will also visit the Akash Lina Eco Tourism eco-park along the coast of the Sundarbans.
The princess will also inspect the cyclone shelter and embankment in the settlement within climate risk prone areas and talk to the affected people there. In the afternoon, she will spend time at the Burigoalini union Barsha resort. She will also tour the Sundarbans. Denmark's crown princess will then return to Dhaka at 4:00 Wednesday afternoon by helicopter.