<i>Nijhum Dwip story</i>
For nearly 40 years I have been writing against the activities of the Forest Dept from Chittagong, in a series of over 120 letters in the 70s, 80s and 90s mostly entitled “The Green Gold of our Hills” and “The Rape of our Forests”. Although front-paged in the national dailies and vehemently supported by the late Bobby Islam of the Morning Sun, these stark exposes of the corruption of forest staff with names, dates, facts and figures had absolutely no effect. Ultimately in the face of threats to myself and my family, I was forced to wind up my 40 years (1952-92) establishment including Bangladesh's first initiative at agro-forestry on 30 hilly acres (100,000 trees, plants, shrubs etc) near Chittagong, in a matter of days and flee to Dhaka. To my misfortune, I exchanged a bio-diversity jungle (nominated in 1984 for the Swiss Rolex Awards) for the concrete jungle of Dhaka. The Farm was decimated within months. It is therefore, no surprise to read about the dark dealings and outright and flagrant wiping out of valuable timber in the Reserve Forests of the Hill Tracts as highlighted in your daily over the last few days. It only proves that the process of the “Rape of our Forests” continues unabated. The Forest Dept has over the years, evolved corruption into an institutional masterpiece, whereby the very forest laws act as a shield for their open corrupt practices. The loot recovered during the CTG period from bad old Osman Gani's house is proof enough. I suppose he has been reinstated with full honours by now. This letter therefore is in praise of those who were responsible for the proliferation of Spotted Deer in Nijhum Dwip, if indeed it was the poorest people who protected them up to now. I would suggest that an appropriate number be netted at Nijhum and transported to the few patches of virgin forests still left in Bangladesh. The names that come readily to mind are the Madhu and Matamuhari Reserve Forests, Thankhyong, Remakri, Tindu Mouzas, Sitakund, Chunati, Harbang, Alutila and Ruma. Madhupur, the hills in Sylhet, Lowacharra and along the Jamalpur, Netrakona and Sunamganj borders etc. The Sunderbans could also be re-stocked where the deer population is depleted. After an interval excess leopards and tigers with a little orientation could also be released. I saw what could have been the last tiger in the Hill Tracts, about 5 miles upstream of the Chema Jiri in 1963.
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