Tiger widows in Khulna’s Koyra upazila. Photo: Metropolis-
Life Battle of Tiger Widows in Sundarbans
Rashidul Islam-
Due to global warming and climate change, the movement of tigers has decreased in the areas around the locality adjacent to the Sundarbans. Yet the suffering of the wives of the people who were killed by the tigers has not decreased. These widowed women are already at a loss after losing their husbands who used to catch fish or collect green leaves, honey, or wood in the Sundarbans. On top of that, they are slandered as ill-omened and titled as ‘Tiger Widows’.
At least 138 families have been victimized by tigers in the Sundarbans Coastal area according to Government and unofficial records. All these families are living miserable lives. Others in the village do not interact with them because of the superstition that they are responsible for their husbands being devoured by a tiger. They also face problems with their children’s marriages. No one wants to take their daughters as brides because the father was attacked and killed by a tiger. Because of such superstitions, these widows are forced to live like social outcasts. They are now seeking the government’s intervention to improve their fates.
According to locals, these ‘tiger widows’ are living miserable lives with their children. They are raising their children by making a living through fishing in the river with dinghy boats or by doing day labor in the shrimp farms. Yet there is no end to their sufferings.
However, at present few women are achieving self-reliance through sewing after receiving some training. One such example is Rokeya Begum of No. 6 Koyra village in Koyra upazila.
She said in 2008, her husband Abdul Gaffar Khan went to Sundarbans for fishing with a boat and nets. Then a tiger attacked him and injured his neck. Other fishermen came forward and rescued him after hearing his screams. By then the tiger took a chunk of meat from his neck. As a result, he could not be saved. At that time, Rokeya Begum had a six-year-old daughter and a three-and-a-half-year-old son.
Since then, she has been going through a never-ending life struggle. She earns her livelihood by catching fish in the river and working as a day labourer. Due to her husband’s death in a tiger attack, she has been labeled as ill-omened and could not marry again. Like Rokeya Begum, there are many other unfortunate women in the Sundarbans adjacent villages of Khulna and Satkhira.
Ambia Khatun of Koira said, “24 years ago, my husband Amjad Hossain Sardar lost his life in a tiger attack while fishing in the Sundarbans. Since then, I have been going through struggles with my three girls. We are deprived ofany sort of government funds or land allocations. The government should give special consideration to rehabilitating ‘tiger widows’ like me”.
Anjuara, Golejan Bibi, Hasina Khatun, and many others from No. 5 Koira village are surviving somehow by fishing in the river and working as maids in others’ houses.
Recently, a voluntary organization named Initiative for Coastal Development (ICD) has stood beside these women.
Its founder Ashikuzzaman Ashik said he started the activities in Koira with the thought of doing something for the ‘tiger widows’. They provided sewing machines along with training to 40 people, but could not help the rest. There are about 138 such women in Koira. Laili Khatun and Lutfuenna, ‘tiger widows’ of Gobra village, said that after getting a sewing machine, they are earning better, yet it is not sufficient enough to raise the children.
Koira North Bedkashi Union Parishad Chairman Alhajj Sardar Nurul Islam Company said, “An initiative of preparing the list of tiger widows has been undertaken and rehabilitation will commence after the completion of the list”.
Sundarbans West Division Forest Officer (DFO) Abu Naser Mohsin Hossain said, “Lists of tiger attack victims’ family members have been taken from respective station officials. We are looking into how to enhance cooperation. Apart from this, various steps have been taken to increase the number of tigers in the Sundarbans and ensure free roaming of tigers”.
Koira Upazila Executive Officer Md Mominur Rahman said that the upazila administration will provide full assistance to the tiger victims’ family members in Koyra.
