Save Parabon

The illegal occupants had been developing shrimp enclosures that damages the huge "Parabon" in the two offshore islands, the district administration sources said.

Sources said, foreign aid worth Tk 11 crore was also spent for development of the forest in different occasions. But a syndicate of 43 local influential people went on spree to occupy the lands illegally and destroy "Parabon" in the name of shrimp cultivation in the recent years, sources added.

The Daily Star published a report last year on this massive disaster of "Parabon" and mangrove forests threatening environmental degradation.

In a futile effort to put an end to this the concerned Forest Department also filed some 139 cases so far.

Sources said the Deputy Commissioner of Cox's Bazar at the directive of higher authorities asked the illegal occupants to vacate the forest lands within next fifteen days. Otherwise, strict measures will be taken against them. The order was announced through loud speaker in the offshore upazila, they added.

According to sources, the islands of Sonadia (known as Golden Island) and Ghatibhanga-Taziakata, some 10 kms to the north-west off Cox's Bazar town, emerged as shoal in early eighteenth century.

Though inhabited by only fifteen hundred people, all living on fishing or producing dry-fish, the 14-sq km islands with huge geological significance emerged as a tourist spot.

With a view to saving the islands as well as Moheshkhali upazila from erosion, afforestation began in 1974 under Coastal Afforestation Programme. The forest was developed on some 5,000 acres of land. The islands under Kutubjome union were declared Ecological Critical Zone.

Local environment conscious people including lawyers and journalists launched movement demanding measures to save the "Parabon" and proposed exclusive tourist spot.

The Cox's Bazar Environ-mental Journalists Forum submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner and Police Super recently. The district law and order committee at a meeting on August 20 formed a 6-member committee headed by additional deputy commissioner (education) to submit a report on the forest.