3 forest staff suspended over Sundarbans fire

The Forest Department yesterday suspended three employees for their negligence of duties in connection with the three recent fire incidents in the Sundarbans.

The suspended employees are M Nasir Uddin, in-charge of Nangli forest camp of Dhansagar Station under the Chandpai range of the Sundarbans East Zone, and two boatmen of the same camp -- Polash Majumder and Mobarak Hossain.

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"The action was taken against the three as they did not carry out their duties properly during the fire incidents in the forest," said Md Saidul Islam, divisional forest officer (Sundarbans east), who issued the suspension orders. 

According to UNB, a team of Sharankhola Police Station arrested one Saiful Hawlader, 22, son of Dulal Hawlader of Rajeshwar village, from east Rajapur of the upazila early yesterday for his alleged involvement in the fire incidents, said M Shah Alam Miah, officer-in-charge of the police station.

The Chadpai Range of the Sundarbans witnessed three incidents of fire in three weeks.

A fire broke out in the Dhanshagor station's Nangli forest camp area on March 27, another at Abdullah Shila of the range on April 18 and the third one on April 13.

The fire on April 13 engulfed trees around 8.5 acres under the same forest camp of Chandpai range.

In the last 14 years, there have been 20 fire incidents in Chandpai and Sharankhola ranges of the mangrove forest.