Trees felled, tube-well sold for 'building mosque' at KJRI
Three felled trees lying in the compound of Kishoreganj Jute Research Institution. Senior scientific officer sold 18 trees of the institution illegally in the name of constructing a mosque on the campus.Photo: STAR
Trees worth around Tk 5 lakh at Kishoreganj Jute Research Institution (KJRI), also an old deep tube-well have been sold illegally in the name of mosque construction at the institute. KJRI's senior scientific officer Enayatur Rahman Chowdhury allegedly took the decision to sell the 18 trees of the institute to a timber trader. While visiting the area on Monday, this correspondent found one Abu Bakkar of Sagra area in Sadar upazila felling the trees. Bakkar said 12 'mahogani', three 'acacia' and three 'manjuri' trees were sold to timber trader Chan Mia who started chopping the trees on Wednesday. A few staff of the institute, seeking anonymity, alleged that each tree would be worth Tk 30 thousand and total price of 18 trees would be more than Tk 5 lakh. But Enayetur Rahman Chowdhury himself sold those trees for donating Tk 10 thousand to the mosque, they said adding, even he sold a deep tube-well in the name of constructing the mosque. Contacted, Enayetur Rahman told this correspondent over cell phone that he had the authority to chop tree branches and he sold several tree branches worth around Tk 12 thousand. "Of the amount, I will give Tk 10 thousand to mosque committee and by tree saplings with the rest of the money", he added. However, he admitted that a 'dying' tree was also sold which needed permission from the authorities concerned. Enayetur Rahman also said that he sold an 'old' tube-well of the institute for Tk 25 thousand to start construction of the mosque. Contacted, Md Kamal Uddin, director general of the Jute Research Institute, said that he was not aware about selling of trees. None has the right to sell trees without the permission the authority concerned, he said. A probe team will be formed soon to look into the incident, he added.
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