100 hills disappear in Ctg in 30 years

Members of civil society formed a human chain in front of the Chittagong Press Club on Thursday demanding effective steps to stop hill cutting that poses a serious threat to environment. Photo: Star

Over 100 hills disappeared from Chittagong city and surrounding areas in the last 30 years due to illegal hill cutting.

Nearly 100 people died in landslides as a result of the hill cutting that caused serious ecological imbalance and environmental disaster.

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These were revealed by Dr Md Shahidul Islam of Geography department of Chittagong University in a keynote paper presented at a seminar on 'Hill Cutting in Chittagong and Environmental Disaster', held at the Chittagong Press Club on Thursday.

Unscrupulous people of seven categories including local political leaders, 'mastaans' and a section of officials are involved in a syndicate engaged in the lucrative business, speakers told the seminar.

Worst still, relevant laws promulgated in early nineties to stop illegal hill cutting is actually "favourable" for the illegal business because of its many loopholes, they said.

Engineer Sultan Mahmud chaired the seminar, organised by the civil society in Chittagong.

Poet and resident editor of Prothom Alo Abul Momen moderated the discussion.

Earlier, a human chain was formed by the civil society and professionals in front of the Press Club protesting hill cutting.

The seven categories of people include real estate developers, contractors, brick kiln owners and truck owners, the speakers said.

Of them, the most powerful ones are the local political leaders and 'mastaans', who work from behind the seen, they said.

The areas worst affected by the unabated hill cutting are Khulshi, Panchlaish, Sholoshahar, Baizid Bostami, Foy's Lake, Lalkhan Bazar, Oxygen Intersection and Polytechnic area, Dr. Islam said in his the paper.

City mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdury, architect Zarina Hossain, engineers and environmentalists Subash Barua and Ali Ashraf, advocate Shafiul Alam and secretary general of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan Abu Naser Khan spoke at the seminar, among others.

The Speakers called upon the government to top the illegal business to stop destruction of the ecology and environment disaster.

They said the relevant laws should be amended immediately.

They also urged the local people in those areas to launch a movement against illegal hill cutting.