Criminals looting 'green belt' trees in Patuakhali

Illegal felling and stealing of trees goes on unabated in the green belt project at Balaikathi village under Patuakhali Sadar upazila. Forest officials in a drive seized nine felled trees from a nearby canal.

The Patuakhali forest department planted trees in Patuakhali Sadar upazila under the green belt project on a 6-km stretch of road from Mannan Howlader's house to Baniabari at Balaikathi village in 1998.

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An identified gang often looted trees from the project site, said Md Jhantu Mridha, chairman of the garden committee.

The gang cut down five ashamoni trees at the local Ashrayan project point on Saturday night. Hearing the sound, Salim Fakir, a resident of the Ashrayan project, rushed to the spot but the trees cutters chased him away. Later, the gang took away trees from the spot.

On hearing about the theft, Altaf Hossain, Patuakhali Sadar beat officer of the forest department, recovered nine trees from Balaikathi canal on Monday with the help of locals.

"We will take action after investigation," said Altaf Hossain. A case has been filed with Patuakhali Police Station in this regard, he added.

Meanwhile, local influentials looted trees worth over Tk 50,000 from the yard of Abdur Rashid Mridha, son of freedom fighter Anaj Uddin Mridha, on September 16. Rashid Mridha filed a case in this regard with the Senior Judicial Magistrate's Court, Kalapara, on Wednesday. The Court asked Tariquzzaman Tara, chairman of Lalua Union Parishad, to investigate the matter and submit a report by October 21.

According to the case, Shahabuddin Akon, Anisur Rahman and Ashish Biswas looted about 50 trees from Rashid Mridha's yard.

"When I objected against cutting of the trees, they threatened us," said Rashid Mridha, a member of the Muktijoddha Command unit of Kalapara upazila.

Contacted Shahbuddin Akon said "I bought the land and I cut down trees on that land."

When asked if he had any documents in support of his claim, he couldn't answer.