Bangladesh Joins International Big Cat Alliance

Bangladesh joined the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) on 24 June 2026 as its 27th member nation. The IBCA is a treaty-based inter-governmental international organisation and legal entity headquartered in New Delhi, India.

International Big Cat Alliance

The IBCA was launched in April 2023 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the commemoration of 50 years of Project Tiger. It became a full-fledged treaty-based international organisation and legal entity on 23 January 2025. The alliance works for the conservation of seven big cat species: tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar and puma.

Bangladesh’s Accession

Bangladesh’s cabinet approved the decision to join the IBCA on 22 May 2026 after a proposal from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. India, a founding member of the alliance, invited Bangladesh to become a full member after discussions between Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma and Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo on 8 and 9 April 2026.

Big Cat Conservation in South Asia

The Bengal tiger inhabits the Sundarbans ecosystem shared by India and Bangladesh. The Sundarbans is a mangrove forest region in the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta and is a habitat for several threatened species.

Important Facts for Exams

• The International Big Cat Alliance is headquartered in New Delhi, India.
• The IBCA covers seven big cat species, including the cheetah and the puma.
• Project Tiger was launched in India in 1973, and the IBCA was launched during its 50-year commemoration in 2023.
• Bangladesh became the 27th member of the IBCA in June 2026.

Legal and Institutional Status

The IBCA functions as a treaty-based inter-governmental organisation under international law. Its membership includes countries that cooperate on conservation, knowledge-sharing and technical expertise for big cat protection.