River Dolphin Sanctuary in Mohanganj-Nagarbari on the Brink of Extinction
The Mohanganj-Nagarbari Freshwater Dolphin Sanctuary, established in 2013 over 408 hectares along the Jamuna River in Pabna’s Bera Upazila, remains largely inactive and neglected. Even on International Freshwater Dolphin Day on October 24, no local awareness campaigns, seminars, or conservation activities were observed in the region. Disruption from illegal monofilament nets, heavy vessel traffic, river encroachment, and unplanned ghat construction continues to severely hamper dolphin movement, accelerating the rapid decline of this endangered mammal population while alarming local environmental enthusiasts and citizens.
Despite its decade-old official designation, the sanctuary suffers from a complete absence of field-level administrative supervision, regular patrols, and dedicated personnel from the Forest Department. Severe gaps in communication leave local communities and fishermen entirely unaware of the sanctuary’s existence, leading to frequent dolphin deaths in prohibited fishing traps without legal consequences. Md. Abu Sayeed, a local fisherman with 30 years of experience, shared, ‘I never knew this was a dolphin sanctuary. In the past, dolphins were frequently seen in the river, but now they are rare.’
Local administrative leaders also remain uninformed about the sanctuary’s boundaries due to a total lack of basic promotional materials or boundary indicators along the riverbanks. Highlighting this critical oversight, Abdur Hamid, Chairman of the Haturia-Nakalia Union Parishad, stated, ‘I was unaware that the river stretch from Mohanganj to Nagarbari is a dolphin sanctuary; I am learning about it for the first time today. There are no warning banners or signboards in the Mohanganj Ghat area that indicate this area is a designated sanctuary.’
Forest Department officials acknowledge the operational shortcomings and attribute the decline in dolphin sightings to reduced river navigability, habitat encroachment, and unplanned development. Md. Jahangir Kabir, Wildlife Inspector of the Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division in Rajshahi, noted, ‘We received no official instructions to organise programs at the sanctuary. Since the sanctuary’s declaration, no staff has been deployed for field-level monitoring.’ He emphasised that harming dolphins carries up to five years in prison or a BDT 5 lakh fine under the Wildlife Act, promising that field operations will begin soon.
