Logs of illegally felled roadside trees seized in Gaibandha

Police seized at least logs of 26 illegally felled trees from Gobindaganj upazila of the district on Tuesday.

In 2006, Kamdia Union Parishad and local Basayen Samity planted over 1,000 eucalyptus trees along Kamdia-Basayen road in the upazila, said police and locals.

Without any prior permission from the upazila administration, Moshahed Hossain Chowdhury, chairman of the union parishad, and Santosh Chandra, president of Basayen Samity, recently sold 400 among the roadside trees for Tk 3.4 lakh, they said. 

On Monday afternoon, at least 26 trees along the road were felled. Being informed, police rushed to the spot the following day and seized the logs of the felled trees.

None was arrested in this connection.

A UP member, Mojidul Islam, alleged the chairman has misappropriated the money earned from selling the trees as the amount it is yet to be deposited in the account of the parishad.

Refuting the allegation of misappropriation of the money, the UP chairman said the matter of selling trees was decided at a joint meeting with Basayen Samity recently for the welfare of the samity and the union parishad.

The president of Basayen Samity also made similar remarks.

Contacted, Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mamun-ul-Hasan said punitive action would be taken against those responsible for selling the roadside trees illegally.