Illegal tree felling stopped
Locals gather at the field of Kamlapur Primary Teachers Training Institute in Alamdanga upazila of Chuadanga district to stop illegal tree felling by men employed by a local Jubo League leader.Photo: STAR
Local people led by an Awami League (AL) leader stopped a Jubo League leader's act of illegal tree felling on the premises of Kamlapur Primary Teachers Training Institute (PTTI) in Alamdanga upazila under Chuadanga district on Friday. Abdur Rashid, an influential leader of Alamdanga upazila unit of Jubo League, bought 37 trees including several dead ones on the premises of Kamlapur PTTI for Tk 65,500 in an open auction held on June 17, sources said. An auction committee headed by Alamdanga Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Abdus Salam conducted the auction process. Abdur Rashid, also former president of Chuadanga district unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League, engaged labourers to cut the trees on June 25 although no official order was issued by that time. The official order was issued on July 1. In a couple of days, Rashid's labourers felled three live trees (worth Tk 3 lakh) that were not among the 37 trees under auction. As local people came to know the matter, they went to the spot and protested the act. They also informed PTTI Superintendent Abul Kalam Azad of the matter but no action was taken. On Friday, locals led by Abdur Razzak, general secretary of Awami League unit of Ward No-2 under Mominpur union parishad in the upazila, prevented the labourers from tree felling and submitted written allegation to the UNO about the matter. “I have already stopped their cutting trees and formed a three-member committee headed by Alamdanga upazila Vice Chairman Delwar Hossain to investigate the matter. I will take stern action after the committee submits report tomorrow [Sunday],” UNO Abdus Salam said yesterday. Other members of the probe body are upazila Primary Education Officer Ashraful Islam and PTTI Superintendent Abul Kalam Azad. “I paid the auction money on June 23. What will I do if they (authority concerned) make delay to issue official order?” Rashid said yesterday over phone.
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