The Sunderban area of Bangladesh will be explored for its oil and gas reserves by Shell, Anglo-Dutch oil company. The Sunderbans are the home to some of the world's most endangered wildlife. The Bangladesh government has given its approval to the project. Any mineral exploitation would threaten the existence of animals, according to Mohammed Ali Ashraf, member of the Bangladeshi unit of Friends of Earth, a non governmental organisation. "Britain would not let a Bangladeshi company drill for oil in the Lake District. So why should we allow our resources to be exploited,' Ashraf added.