Miscreants cut down 500 trees in Thakurgaon

Miscreants cut down more than 500 trees in Thakurgaon Sadar upazila early Wednesday, drawing strong condemnation from locals.

The incident took place along the roadside of Salandar Sugarcane Farm, where different environment-friendly forest species had been planted.

Residents demanded that the authorities identify those responsible, arrest them and ensure exemplary punishment.

Local farmer Abul Kalam Azad said he had planted around 10,000 saplings on vacant roadside land at the farm two years ago under an agreement with the farm authorities, the Forest Department and the local union parishad to help maintain ecological balance.

He said, he trees had grown significantly and created a pleasant environment in the area. However, he said, miscreants used sharp weapons to cut down more than 500 trees in the early hours of Wednesday, causing heavy losses.

“I was at the site until around 1am. The trees were intact at that time. On Wednesday morning, locals informed me that the trees had been cut. When I reached the spot, I saw the damage,” he said.

The damaged trees included mahogany, akashmoni, krishnachura and shimul, among other species.

Salandar Union Parishad Chairman Fazle Elahi Mukut Chowdhury visited the spot and advised the victim to file written complaints with the Forest Department and the local police station.

He condemned the incident and urged locals to help identify the culprits, saying such acts against environment-friendly initiatives are unacceptable.