The numerous islands constituting the littoral
forests of the Sundarbans have been formed by
river-borne silts of the Ganges and the Brahmaputra,
the two main rivers of Bangladesh. The
forests lie between latitudes 21°30’N and 22°31’N
and between longitudes 89°E and 90°E.

The Bangladesh Energy Study, sponsored by the Planning Commission and
published a year ago, reviewed the estimates and surveys made of fuelwood
consumption and requirements in the country. It concluded that the consumption
of domestic firewood and other forms of vege.tativc fuels is unknown.
Since the use of wood as fuel far exceeds other uses in volume
importance a proper study is now considered necessary.
The paper describes the main physical, economic and statistical determinants
of fuelwood consumption in Bangladesh. It proceeds to describe survey methods
and strategy for determining this statistic. Supply estimates are then briefly
described.

Forest and forest products have provided food,
shelter, clothing and other necessities of life to
human beings since pre-historic days. With the
development of knowledge, men gradually discovered
better ways of living. Along with that they
discovered better uses of forests and forest products.
Thus, at different levels of the advancement of
human civilization, men have utilized the forest and
forest products in different ways to meet their socioeconomic
needs. While men of the Stone Age were
satisfied with their abodes in forest caves, eating
roots, shoots and fruits of trees and having the
leaves and barks of trees as their clothing, the modern
men have found other uses for forests and forest
products to cater to their socio-economic needs.
Forests and trees today, therefore help men in
agricultural development, industrial growth, economic
advancement, recreation, environmental control
and meet the demands of the human being in all
walks of life, from cradle to coffin. It is an irony
that realization of the importance of forests has
been quite jalc. Nevertheless, this late realisation if
properly implemented by different nations of the
world might save the human being from total
destruction. To arouse public consciousness concerning
(i) the significance of forest wealth (ii) the direct
and indirect benefits derived from the forests and
(iii) the importance of forest as a factor in nature
conservation the World Forestry Day is being celebrated
on the 21st of March every year indifferent
countries of the world. Bangladesh emerged as a

Urea formaldehyde resin extended with 0,50,100 and 150 percent of wheat
flour based on dry resin weight was used in the manufacture of three-ply 3/16″
thick plywood with civit veneer. Veneer moisture contents of 6 and 12 percent
and specific pressures of 150, 200 and 250 psi, applied during hot pressing, were
the other variables. The quality of glue bond was evaluated by the dry plywood
shear test and warm-water plywood shear test.
The dry test shows that with wheat flour extension, reduction in the bond
strength is statistically significant. However, even the extended glue mixes produce
adequate bond. The wet test shows that upto 50 percent extension, there is no
significant reduction in the bond strength but 150 percent extension produces a very
poor bond.
In the dry shear test, a significantly (1% level) higher bond strength is
found at 6 percent than at a 12 percent moisture content level although in the
wet tests no difference can be detected. This phenomenon can be well explained
in the light of the “Water-Monolayer Theory of adhesion”. According to this theory,
an adhensive adheres to the wood through a layer of water and the optimum bond
takes place when a monolayer is present in the substrate. This monolayer condition
is attained at about ten percent equilibrium moisture content for most of the wood
species. Wood, conditioned to six percent equilibrium moisture content, attains the
monolayer condition by absorbing water from the glue-mix. This is the reason of
higher bond strength of plywood made with veneer conditioned to six percent
moisture content as revealed by the dry test. However, during the wet tests,
plywood absorbs more water and thereby destroys this monolayer condition as a
consequence of which no difference is detected in the bond strength between the
two moisture content levels.

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This paper gives the experience of a tour study in the Sundarbans forest by
the author and Dr. Hubert Hcndrich, a West German Zoologist during 1970. It
also deals with the present status of wildlife population in Bangladesh. Some hints
have also been given regarding suitable sites for recreational purposes in Bangladesh

There are more than 500 tropical hardwood species and a number of grass
and bamboo species in Bangladesh. Only a handful of these are, at present, used
for the manufacture of pulp, paper, fibreboard and rayon. Sundri and gewa of the
Sunderbans and a number of hardwood species of the Chittagong area are used
for the manufacture of paper and fibre boards. Rice straw and bagasse are also
used for the same purpose. Besides, some bamboo species of the Chittagong Hill
Tracts and three grass species of Sylhet district are, at present, used for the manufacture
of pulp and rayon. Most of the other minor hardwood and grass species
have practically no industrial use.
In this study, 20 minor hardwood species and 20 grass species of Bangladesh
have been taken up with a view to determine their suitability for the manufacture
of pulp. Runkel ratio, flexibility co-efficient and relative fibre length have been
found out from the fibre length, fibre diameter, cell-wall thickness and lumen
diameter of the fibres. From those data the tensile strength, tearing resistance and
general suitability of the fibres for the manufacture of pulp and paper could be
estimated. From the Runkel ratio obtained, it can be predicted that most of the
species under study will be suitable for the manufacture of quality paper. Only
Kannari and Jaikkagola among the wood species, daloo and lata bans from the
bamboo species and nal, ikra and khagra among the grass species are likely to
yield moderate quality pulp.

In Bangladesh the Tropical Moist Deciduous Sal Forests were studied in Madhupur
Garh. Sal (Shorea robusta) has got a density of 87 trees out of the total
233 trees per acre. The basal area of sal is 56 sft per acre (that is 48.7% of
the total) and it has got a 100% frequency distribution.

The paper explores the statistical ground of preparing forest working plans and
provides a tentative list of required data and studies. It is observed that the
insufficiency of required data and lack of studies have resulted in serious shortcomings
in the present working plans of Bangladesh. The targets are not found to be
established on an analytical basis and the prescriptions and programmes do not
reflect the true requirements of the economy. Thus the plans are not consistent
with the objective of producing the maximum contribution to the society. In order
to improve the quality of the working plans it has become urgently necessary to
develop forestry sector statistics in Bangladesh. The paper suggests steps for accelerating
developments in this respect. The steps are concerned with institutional
changes, provision of adequate field staff and funds, organising training programmes
and formulation of a plan for statistical development by the Working Plans Division
of the Forest Department in close co-operation with the Planning Commission
and the Forest Research Institute.

The furniture and joinery industries of Bangladesh mostly use manual labour
and hand tools both in manufacture and in surface finishing. Modern woodworking
machines have been introduced on a very small scale in the recent past, but
they have not met with much success due to the lack of proper technical know-how
and trained personnel. These industries are expected to expand. As the general
economic conditions improve and per capita income rises, there will be need for an
increased production of furniture and joinery.