Forestland freed from illegal occupiers

Forest department recovered a total of 23 acres of forestland from grabbers and demolished many banana and pineapple orchards under Gachhabari forest area in Madhupur upazila in the last couple of days.

They made the recovery during a drive that began on March 8 and continued till March 13.

Local people have been cultivating different fruits and spices like banana, pineapple, turmeric and zinger occupying lands inside the Sal Forest in Gachhabari, Chawra Baid, Shukonpacha and Chitakhola areas for the last six to seven years, forest officials said.

Beat Officer of Gachhabari Forest Mofiz Uddin said they will plant different local varieties of trees like Jarul, Hijol and Rain Tree on the recovered forestland in Chawra Baid area.

Jamal Hossain Talukder, assistant forest conservator in Madhupur said they will continue such drive to recover the grabbed forest land in Madhupur.

The drive has been greatly hindered due to shortage of manpower and interference of local politicians and public representatives, he added.

Mentionable, the traditional Sal Forest in Madhupur is shrinking very fast due to nonstop tree felling and illegal encroachment.

The unique habitat of flora and fauna has already been shrunken to 8,000 acres from 45,000 acres in the last few decades, forest officials said, adding that over 25,000 acres of forestland are grabbed by a number of local influential people and outsiders.