Birds of the Sundarban

(Foridi Numan) #1

drawn me to this path. This book’s information results from long-term research by renownedlocal and foreign researchers. I would like to express my gratitude to those great scientists
and researchers at this stage.
I first visited the Sundarban in 2006 through one of my preceptors on the pretext of
producing a program for Bangladesh Television. If I had not gone on this tour, it might havetaken me a while to see this forest or to fall in love with it. Also on that visit was the late
brother Akhtaruzzaman Kamal, the legendary ‘Baghmama [tiger-unkle]’ of the Sundarban,who used to visit the office of our daily newspaper every week on the occasion of his series
‘Cholo Jai Sundarban [Let's go Sundarban].’ He encouraged me to visit this forest by
narrating various incidents from the Sundarban. Brother Kamal has spent 45 years of hislife in this forest.


Mr. Khasru Chowdhury, a Sundarban and tiger expert. This heroic freedom fighter andrecitation artist is my favorite for many reasons. After Super Cyclone Sidr I went to
Sundarban, it was there that I first met Khasru Chowdhury. Although he is abroad andneeds a livelihood, we have regular communication. When an offer came from a top
publishing house in Bangladesh to write a particular book on the Sundarban, I expressedinterest in working with Brother Khasru on that book. We couldn’t work with the publishing
company for some reason, but I had arranged a lot for the book by then. I told BrotherKhasru about it. He said, ‘Write down.’ I might not have had the courage to start this
book if I had not received such an order from Brother Khasru.
I also want to mention my long-time friend, well-wisher,
and traveling companion, Emdadul Islam Bitu. Not onlyin the Sundarban but in many locations of
Bangladesh, we also went on trips together. He helpsme with any work without any questions. Another
companion of ours, a friend, nature lover, and
photographer brother, Sankar Singha, was inBangladesh for the profession. On his way back
from his home in Medinipur, India, on holiday, heeasily handed over wonderful things, including rare

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