Some five months after an oil tanker carrying furnace oil capsized in Shela River harming flora and fauna of the Sundarbans, another vessel carrying fertilizer made up of toxic chemicals, sank in Bhola River of the world’s largest mangrove forest threatening its biodiversity. Experts feared that an adverse impact on biodiversity is likely to appear in the Sundarbans, following ‘MV Zabale Nur (M-6943)’, the cargo vessel carrying over 500 metric tonnes of fertilizers, capsized in Bhola River on Tuesday afternoon polluting its water. The vessel could not be salvaged yet. Reliable sources at the Forest Department said ‘MV Zabale Nur (M-6943),’ owned by M/S Al Ehsan Shipping Lines, was traveling to Baghabari of Sirajganj, carrying muriate of potash (MoP), from Harbaria of Mongla Upazila of Bagerhat district. It got stuck in a shoal (hidden char) in Bimal Char area in Bhola River. Being informed, owners of ‘MV Zabale Nur’ sent two other cargo vessels to unload MoP from the trapped one. As they began offloading the fertilizer, the lower portion of ‘MV Zabale Nur’ burst, resulting in the vessel farther going down the river water, mixing its fertilizer with the water polluting the river. Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Kamal Uddin Ahmed of Sundarbans East Forest Division, quoting witnesses and the crew of the cargo, said the old vessel had been loaded with goods beyond its capacity. Officer-in-charge of Sarankhola Police Station of Bagerhat district where a large part of Sundarbans east zone is located, said a police team have been sent to the site where MV Zabale Nur (M-6943) sank. He, however, said the vessel was carrying a total 670 metric tonnes of MoP when it capsized. He and the forest department officials said that the owners were working to move away the fertilizer from MV Zabale Nur. Meanwhile, experts warned that biodiversity of Sundarbans may face severe damage again as the area, where the cargo sank, is sanctuary to dolphins. Professor Dr. Dilip Kumar Datta of Environmental Science Discipline at Khunna University said MoP is a poisonous chemical and it may damage aquatic animals, getting mixed with water. Fertilizer will get mixed with water of the rivers and cannels in Sundarbans, causing damage to environment, especially to fish, opined Dr Abdullah Al Mamum of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology department at Hazrat Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST). He said this incident will have no impact immediately, but it will affect on biodiversity of Sundaarbans in long term. However, fisheries resources, aerial roots, and aquatic animals will face more harm in short term, according to Abdullah. On December 9, OT ‘Southern Star 7’, carrying 350,000 litres of furnace oil for a power plant in Gopalganj capsized in Shela River near Sundarbans’ Chandpai Range after being hit by another tanker. Following the incident, different local and international organizations and experts, including the United Nations, recommended banning cargo vessel traffic in waterways of Sundarbans, according to a news agency.