The Sundarbans will reopen on Tuesday after a three-month ban, allowing thousands of coastal fishers and bawalis to return to its narrow rivers to catch fish and crabs. Tourist centres in the forest will also reopen. The closure, imposed from June through August to protect fisheries and biodiversity, had barred all forest-resource collection and visitor entry.

The ban severely disrupted families dependent on the Sundarbans, particularly in several unions of Shyamnagar and Ashashuni upazilas in Satkhira. With few alternative jobs, many residents borrowed from moneylenders at high interest or took NGO loans to cover household costs. Fishers in Burigoalini, Munshiganj and Gabura were preparing boats, repairing vessels, sewing nets and arranging permits from the Forest Department.

Fishers said reopening offers hope of earning money and repaying debts, but concerns over uncertain catches, instalments and attacks or extortion by forest bandits remain. Tourism operators are also readying passenger trawlers after about 1,500 to 2,000 trawler workers were effectively unemployed during the closure. Former trawler owners' association official Abdul Halim said tourists, alongside fishers and bawalis, would be able to enter from September 1.