Hills disappearing fast in Cox's Bazar town

Cox's Bazar, January 12, 2007: Hills are disappearing fast in the resort town of Cox's Bazar while denudation of forests is going on unabated.

During a visit to the areas, this correspondent saw a number of hills in the main town being cut for construction of new buildings and establishments.

Local people complained that the Four-party Alliance leaders in the area destroyed a large number of hills since the very beginning of their rule. They said, influential led by a Cox's Bazar municipality BNP leader levelled to the ground some hills behind the district jail. Work on a housing project is going on there. Forest Department has claimed ownership of the lands.

Influential started their projects by hanging signboards of their so-called housing projects in Ghonarpara, bus terminal, Pahartoli, Larpara, Boidderghona areas and then destroyed the hills.

Following publication of reports of hill cutting in major national dailies, the land grabbers managed many local newsmen allegedly by bribing them to stop publication of stories in local papers. In the recent time, the foul play became an 'open secret' as a section of the district administration officials 'came to aid' of the land grabbers, sources said.

Forest officials informed that about 900 acres of hill lands worth about Tk 500 crore already went under 'unauthorised control'. The Forest Department could not take action against them because of close association of the land grabbers with political leaders, influential and top district administration officials.

Some environmental and professional organisations tried to build up agitation to stop hill cutting but it did not last longer. It has been learnt that the administration also shut their mouth against hill cutting.

However, Cox's Bazar District Lawyers Association brought out protest processions, formed human chains and protest rallies for long to stop hill cutting. District Lawyers' Association president Advocate Momtaz Ahmed said a disaster looms due to indiscriminate hill cutting. He alleged that the culprits are still out of dragnet as because a group of Forest Department employees are involved in hill cutting.

Cox's Bazar Divisional Forest official Abani Bhusan Thakur disclosed that government staff have set up a housing project in Kalatoli by-pass area of the town by grabbing 51 acres of hill land. The Forest Department filed cases with the assistant judge's court for permanent bar on it on October 22, but the ruling went against them. 'We have appealed to the higher court against the ruling', he said.

Forest Department sources said the district administration staffers destroyed hills and fell many 'Segun' (teak) trees after grabbing the land. On the day, a team of forest guards led by Forest Department writ officer, Khondker Ariful Islam tried to prevent them from their act, but government staffers beat them up. As a result, Ariful Islam and three others sustained serious injuries and later shifted to hospital.

As many as 28 bulldozers were demolishing hills and forests in the area till filing of this report yesterday afternoon, the sources said.

Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) informed that their organisation filed a writ against the activities. The High Court banned setting up of housing projects by destroying hills and denuding forests in Kalatoli area. Show cause notices were issued on concerned officials. The court also ordered not to allot land to anybody or organisation in the protected area.

But defying the court order denudation of forest and hill cutting have been going on unabated, a Bela member lamented.

Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Aminul Islam said he himself does not support hill cutting. It started during the tenure of his predecessors, he said.

A source in the district administration said a few ministers, state ministers, secretaries and big wigs of the erstwhile 4-party Alliance were involved in the housing projects speeding up hill cutting and denudation of trees.