Why in the news
Bangladesh formally entered the India-initiated big cat grouping in June 2026. The two countries share the Sundarbans, so the step matters for tiger conservation.
Key facts
- Entry date: 24 June 2026, making Bangladesh the 27th member country.
- Cabinet nod: 22 May 2026, at the eighth cabinet meeting under PM Tarique Rahman, on a proposal of Bangladesh’s environment ministry.
- Diplomatic groundwork: talks on 8-9 April 2026 between India’s High Commissioner Pranay Verma and Bangladesh’s Environment Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo.
- Sundarbans: the world’s largest mangrove forest (about 10,000 sq km), shared by both countries, with roughly 125 wild Royal Bengal Tigers on the Bangladesh side.
- India’s pledge: a $100 million grant over the first five years of IBCA.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|
| Launch | 9 April 2023, Mysuru, at the Project Tiger 50th anniversary event |
| Launched by | PM Modi |
| Treaty-based organisation | From 23 January 2025 |
| Headquarters | New Delhi |
| Nodal agency | NTCA under MoEFCC |
| Species covered | Seven cats: tiger, lion, jaguar, puma, cheetah, leopard, snow leopard |
| IUCN status | Big cats |
|---|
| Endangered | Tiger; Asiatic lion (the lion overall is rated Vulnerable) |
| Vulnerable | Cheetah, snow leopard, leopard |
| Near Threatened | Jaguar |
| Least Concern | Puma |
About IBCA objectives
- Protecting habitats and curbing poaching and wildlife crime.
- Research, capacity building and technology sharing.
- Mobilising money for conservation and tackling illegal trafficking.
- Acting as a store of best practices for members.
Sundarbans and Bangladesh
- Located in the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta; the only mangrove ecosystem with tigers.
- UNESCO World Heritage Site: India’s part listed 1987, Bangladesh’s 1997.
- Bangladesh: capital Dhaka, a parliamentary republic at the northern tip of the Bay of Bengal; national animal is the Royal Bengal Tiger.
- Other wild cats there: Indian leopard (very rare), clouded leopard, fishing cat, jungle cat, leopard cat.
India’s big cat milestones
- Project Tiger: 1 April 1973 at Corbett by Indira Gandhi.
- Project Lion: August 2020; Project Cheetah: 17 September 2022 at Kuno, Madhya Pradesh.
- NTCA set up December 2005; about 3,682 tigers in the 2022 census, around 75% of the world’s wild tigers.
Exam angle
- Nodal agency: NTCA (MoEFCC); HQ: New Delhi.
- Launch: 9 April 2023, Mysuru; treaty status: 23 January 2025.
- Related terms: Sundarbans, Project Tiger, Project Cheetah, IUCN categories.