Our forests
The letter by Dr Reza Khan with the above title published in your newspaper (DS061209) draws attention to the dire need of Bangladesh. If the government and the people of Bangladesh want to keep their forests and the biodiversity, it is high time that the government takes responsibility for a quick decision. The political will is the major force to implement such a decision. Dr Reza Khan has been championing this idea of having a separate department for managing the wildlife and other remaining natural forests. If the government and the policy makers take a positive decision the future generation Bangladeshis would remember them with gratitude.
The effort the government is putting behind climate change issues is praiseworthy. But one aspect of climate change issue that is not getting consideration that it deserves is species/biodiversity conservation. Our politicians and policy-makers should not forget that climate change issues and biodiversity conservation are two sides of the same coin.
I would just like to add to Dr Khan's statement that protected areas & wildlife management and enforcement should be one department. This department will manage protected areas and reserve forests and regulate the nature tourism, commercial wildlife farming & wildlife trade. It may be named as "the Department of Natural Resources Management". Many countries in the world are practicing it successfully. It all depends on the political will, honesty, sincerity and the sense of belonging/ownership of the resources by the managers who are entrusted with the responsibility. Definitely the legal issues related to natural resources management need to be re-visited to suit the institutional changes and regulation.
We talk about good governance, accountability, responsibility, and democracy. The government, the politicians and the government officials have to show it to the citizens what they mean by good governance.
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