Bijan Kumar Biswas, Cox’s Bazar District Representative: Valuable trees in the protected forest area of multiple binbits under the five ranges of Cox’s Bazar North Forest Division are going to be destroyed day by day. Along with the smuggling of wood from these protected forest areas, there is also the smuggling of soil by cutting mountains and sand from flowing streams inside the forest area. The construction of temporary houses and shops near the roads by forcefully occupying the forest land is not stopping under any circumstances. Divisional Forest Officer Anwar Hossain is playing a silent role despite these smuggling incidents. Meanwhile, despite the constant incidents of deforestation, forced encroachment, and trafficking, he sits in the office and is busy with files to collect money for projects undertaken in various sectors, including short- and long-term forestry and nursery raising, including the Climate Fund, the World Bank, and various donors. Again, there are allegations that he is embezzling the money allocated in the name of various days and festivals without observing anything.
Among the nine upazilas of Cox’s Bazar, Chakaria, Eidgaon, and Ramu, three upazilas are under the forest area of Cox’s Bazar North Forest Division. There are five range offices in these forest areas, including Bankkhali, Joaria Nala, Meherghona, Phulchari, and Phansiakhali. And around 1,000 illegal dumpers (small trucks) and pickups ply on Lagoa roads and hills next to these forest areas and mountains. These vehicles are supplied with soil cut from hills, sand extracted from canals and rivers, and valuable trees from forest areas, including teak, gorjan, jarul, karai, mahogany, and akasmani. Rivers and canals, protected mountains, and forests are being destroyed.
Leaders of environmental organizations say that several hundred thousand cubic feet of soil and sand are being smuggled daily in dumpers and pickups from at least 15 hills in Ramu, Chakria, and Sadar and more than 6-7 natural sources (rivers, canals, and streams) in Cox’s Bazar. Although the forest department is silent, the traffic police raided and fined dumpers one after another, but the smuggling of felling wood cannot be stopped.
According to the BRTA office, there are 2,400 dumpers (minitrucks) in the district, of which 1,450 are unregistered. Apart from this, at least 550 of the 1500 pickups do not have registration.
The Additional Superintendent of Police (Traffic) of Traffic Police Cox’s Bazar said that hill-cut soil and river sand have been smuggled in dumpers and pickup trucks since 11:00 p.m. Jasim Uddin.
He said that soil is smuggled into some dumpers even during the day. Illegal vehicles, including dumpers, are impounded but have to be released after paying a fine. Because there is no place to keep the impounded car.
Some people in Bon Bivig told The Crime that hundreds of dumpers carrying sand and trees have been fined during raids in different parts of the district in the last four months.
They also said that there are more than two thousand illegal dumpers and pickups in different areas of the district. In these vehicles, hill clearing and sand extraction from canals, rivers, and streams are carried out at night. If all the illegal dumper pickups were seized, hill clearing and sand mining would have stopped. It would save the environment and biodiversity.
Recently, Ramur Bakkhali, PMkhali, Jayaria Nala, Machuakhali, Meherghona, Chakriar Phulchhari, Napitkhali, Rajghat, Khutakhali, Meda Kachpia, Dulahajara, Malumghat, Ringbhong, Phansiakhali, Manikpur, Surajpur, Koyarbil, Islam Nagar, Nalbila, and Kakara areas have seen the mountain cutting scene. fell In some areas, 10–12 dumpers were seen loading sand together. These sands were being used in the city of Cox’s Bazar, for railway line work, and for various development projects by the people.
Almost all the workers engaged in cutting down trees and hills and extracting sand are terrorists and robbers. Some political leaders gave shelter to them in these activities.
Chakaria is Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the Sandal Hills and Forest Department. If they want our help in smuggling soil, sand, and stolen wood, we will certainly do it. Moreover, Chakaria Upazila Prashan conducts occasional raids to prevent the smuggling of hill soil and sand.
Local representatives told The Crime that there are more than 100 illegal dumpers and pickups involved in the smuggling of hill cutting soil and canal sand in at least ten unions of Chakaria and Ramu. Apart from this, there are more than 1000 illegal dumpers and pickups in Cox’s Bazar, Sadar, Ramu, and Chakaria. A few hundred dumpers are being used to smuggle sand taken from different canals in Rangmahal, Matamuhuri River, Ramur Bankkhali River, Morichya, and Khuniapalong Unions in Chakaria.
After visiting different upazilas in Cox’s Bazar and talking to several local sources, it is known that most of the dumper drivers are minors. They don’t have a driving license. More than 20 accidents occurred on the Cox’s Bazar-Chittagong highway last March. At this time, five people died due to the pressure of the dumper in two separate incidents.
Traffic police inspector Amjad Hussain told The Crime that violence against dumpers is more common on the outskirts of the city. Sand and soil are supplied by dumper loads at night. Traffic police seized more than 60 dumpers while entering the city with sand in the last few months.
According to the information provided by the forest department, about 230 more cases have been registered in Cox’s Bazar, Sadar, Ramu, and Chakaria in the last three years.
Deepak Sharma, president of Cox’s Bazar Forest and Environment Conservation Council, told The Crime that the protected hills are being destroyed, trees are being felled, forest areas are being destroyed, and the sand trade is not stopping because the dumpers and pickups are supplying soil and sand. These trucks and pickups are being managed by the forest department and the highway and traffic police.
On the other hand, valuable forest trees and furniture are being smuggled by trucks from evening until late at night through three forest inspection stations of Cox’s Bazar North Forest Division, including Ringbong, Nalbil, and Manikpur. On the condition of anonymity, an official of the Nalbila check station told The Crime that the senior officer of the forest department is aware of these timber smuggling issues.
In this regard, the Divisional Forest Officer of Cox’s Bazar North Forest Division, Anwar Hossain, went to his office to contact the government, and he expressed his inability to talk to the reporter and give time. Then, when he called the mobile phone, he asked to contact ACF.
When Chittagong Region Forest Conservator Vipul Krishna Das was contacted over the phone, he told The Crime that if these allegations were true, legal action would be taken.
