The Sundarbans reopened to tourists, fishermen and forest workers on Tuesday after a three-month closure, but rain and rough weather kept visitor numbers relatively low on the first day.

The forest had been closed to all entry, fishing, crab catching, honey collection and tourism from June 1 to August 31. More than 200 vessel permits had been issued by 2 pm on the first day, allowing more than 400 fishermen and forest workers to enter the mangrove forest.

Azad Kabir, acting officer at the Karamjal Wildlife Breeding Centre under the Sundarbans East Forest Division, said seven large tourist vessels and two small trawlers entered various parts of the forest on Tuesday morning, carrying more than 500 visitors.

By Wednesday, however, only one tourist trawler had reached Karamjal because of bad weather.

Kabir said he expected visitor numbers to rise further if the weather improved.

Two tourists from Dhaka, Munia and Imran Hossain, said they had come to visit the Sundarbans but could not enter the forest on the first day because of rain and gusty winds. They said they planned to enter on Wednesday if conditions improved.

Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, divisional forest officer of the Sundarbans East Forest Division in Bagerhat, said about 500 domestic and foreign tourists visited the forest on the first day.

He attributed the lower turnout to bad weather and said preparations had been completed in advance to receive visitors after the closure.

The three-month restriction reduced human presence and vessel traffic in the forest, giving wildlife a quieter environment. It also reduced pressure on fish breeding in rivers and canals and allowed animals to move more freely.

The forest department said normal activity had resumed across the Sundarbans’ 6,017 square kilometres. The mangrove forest is home to Royal Bengal tigers, spotted deer, monkeys, crocodiles and monitor lizards, along with 289 species of terrestrial animals and 42 mammal species. It also supports 35 reptile species, eight amphibian species, 219 aquatic species, 290 bird species and 344 plant species.

The forest department has strengthened the management of entry permits, vessel movement and access for forest workers, while stepping up biodiversity monitoring.

Under the Integrated Resource Management Plan, the closure was set from July 1 to August 31 in 2019. In 2022, the period was brought forward to June 1 to August 31 in coordination with the fisheries department. Fishermen left without work during the closure receive food assistance from the fisheries department.