<i>Death knell for a rare sandalwood tree</i>
This 12-year-old sandalwood tree on the road island at Shibbari intersection in Khulna city has not been spared as both the advertising firm and city corporation officials found setting the triangular billboard more profitable than helping smooth growth of the highly valuable tree. Photo: STAR
A recently installed large triangular billboard has covered the upper portion of a sandalwood tree at Shibbari intersection under Sonadanga police station in Khulna city, as if to cause gradual death of the valuable tree hardly seen in our country. Asked about the matter, Senior Revenue Officer of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) Md Moniruzzaman said, "The city corporation has allowed hanging this billboard there upon payment of advertisement fees. But I cannot say whether it will disturb growth of the sandalwood tree." The official, responsible for collecting fees for such billboards, however, evaded the question how the billboard owners could mange such permission from KCC officials concerned. When contacted, KCC acting mayor Ajmol Ahmed Tapan told this correspondent yesterday that he would discuss this matter after Mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque returns to Khulna from abroad within a couple of days. The sandalwood tree will be protected at any cost, he said. Md Anwarul Iqbal, a former adviser of the last caretaker government, planted sapling of the rare sandalwood tree on the road island at Shibbari intersection when he was the commissioner of Khulna Metropolitan Police in 1999. Consequently, locals started calling the road island 'Chandan Dwip'. "It is really sorrowful that hanging of a billboard for commercial interest will lead to the death of a valuable tree. The billboard must be dismantled without any delay to save the tree as the government is encouraging tree plantation across the country," said advocate Feroze Ahmed, convenor of Khulna Nagorik Samaj. "Sandalwood trees are not grown in the Sundarbans. It is grown in some parts of India, especially Kerala state," said Mihir Kumar, divisional forest officer of the East Wing of Sundarbans Forest Division. "The government imports sandalwood for different purposes. It is mainly used for making soap and herbal medicines. It is also used for celebration during different pujas and cremation of dead bodies of Hindus," he added.
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