Environmentalists protest felling of 4,500 trees in Sunamganj

An environment advocacy group staged a rally protesting the felling of several thousand trees along the Sunamganj–Jamalganj road on Saturday.

The “Haor and River Protection Movement” hosted the rally at Icharchar in Sunamganj Sadar upazila.

Speakers at the rally said the Forest Department is cutting around 4,500 trees along the 19-kilometer road from the district headquarters to Sachnabazar in Jamalganj upazila. More than 1,000 trees have already been felled. They demanded that the tree felling be stopped immediately.

The speakers said a similar initiative to cut down the trees was taken two years ago. The felling was halted at the time following protests by local people. This time, the trees are being cut citing road expansion and the expiry of the social forestry program.

They further said the Forest Department has cited the expiry of the social forestry program and road expansion as reasons for cutting the trees. However, officials of the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) in Sunamganj said they knew nothing about the tree felling. The beneficiaries of the trees were also contacted, but they said they had received no money as compensation for the lost trees, and knew nothing about the felling.

The speakers alleged that a syndicate, in collusion with the Forest Department, is involved in cutting down the trees. They said that while people are being encouraged to plant trees on the one hand, the Forest Department is cutting them down using various tactics on the other.

Speakers at the rally included Sunamganj Haor and River Protection Movement President Mohammad Raju Ahmed, Vice-Presidents Mujahidul Islam and Obaidul Munsi, General Secretary Obaidul Haque, and members MD Zakaria, Sujon Talukder and Mofazzal Hossain, among others.

Sunamganj Range Officer of the Forest Department Riaz Uddin said the trees had been planted under the “now-defunct” social forestry program, with local people taking care of them. As the program’s term had expired, the trees were sold following due procedures. He added that the road would also be expanded, and trees would be planted again on both sides of the road afterward.