Panic has gripped Golakhali Dwip in Shyamnagar upazila of Satkhira since the sighting of a Royal Bengal tiger in the area near the Sundarbans on Sunday.

Locals spotted the tiger wandering near a shrimp farm, owned by a person named Rafiqul, in the village on Sunday.

Rattled by the hue and cry, the tiger fled the spot after nearly 20 minutes but the peeple of the village have since been living in fear.

“No one dares to step out of their house after sunset,” said Bholanath Mandal, a resident of the village.

When contacted, MA Hasan, assistant conservator of forests (Satkhira range), said a joint team of the Village Tiger Response Force and the forest department “is on its toes round the clock”.

The residents of the village have, however, been asked to stay vigilant, he added.