Random tree felling goes on in Sundarbans
Logs of trees including sundari, extracted from the Sundarbans defying a government ban, are kept for display and sale beside Shyamnagar-Munshiganj road near Shyamnagar Pilot High School in Shyamnagar upazila under Satkhira district. The photo was taken a few days ago.Photo: STAR
Random extraction of trees and other forest resources from the Sundarbans is causing depletion to the world's largest mangrove forest. The unscrupulous act threatens human habitations in the nearby areas as the forest acts as a shield to protect the country's south-western region from the onslaught of natural disasters, in addition to serving as source of livelihood for thousands of people. Besides, the government is deprived of huge revenue as the trees are felled illegally in connivance with a section of dishonest forest officials. Super cyclone Sidr that hit the country's southern region on November 15 in 2007 caused large scale damage to the Sundarbans. The next year, the government imposed ban on extraction of forest resources from the Sundarbans to prevent its further depletion and also to help natural recovery of the mangrove forest. Ignoring the ban, wood cutters and timber traders continued extracting different species of trees including sundari, garan, hetal, bain and others from the forest. During recent visits to different areas of the Sundarbans, this correspondent found open sale of the extracted trees at Shyamnagar Sadar, Noabeki Bazar, Bhetkhali Bazar and other places in the upazila. The act continues throughout the year, locals said. "I bought trees extracted from the Sundarbans from Harej Ali and Aminur Rahman of Bhetkhali village and Abdus Samad and Shahar Ali Mollah of Tengrakhali village in Shyamnagar upazila at dead of night," said Rouf Gazi, a log seller of Bhetkhali village. Tree plundering continues in the Sundarbans due to lack of adequate action by law enforcers, said several locals. Contacted, Assistant Conservator of Forest Toufiqul Islam said, "We will intensify action against the plunderers who are extracting trees from the Sundarbans ignoring the government ban."
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