Editorial
Unauthorised sawmills
Act to save the environment
The observance of World Environment Day in Bangladesh yesterday could not have been a cheering exercise. With the country now home to only 10 per cent of forests where the global required standard is 25 per cent, it is time to ask why we have consistently failed to roll back the damage systematically being done to our environment. Part of the answer comes from reports of a blatant, illegal felling of trees in what is officially known as the Sakhipur reserve forests in the Madhupur region. Over the last two and a half years, no fewer than 52 sawmills have been set up illegally, and with the full knowledge of the authorities, in the area. That is a shame. The bigger shame, though, is that the Department of Forests seems powerless to do anything about it since ruling party people are allegedly involved in the illegal business.
At a time when conservation, indeed a rapid augmentation of forests is called for, the depletion of greenery in Sakhipur arouses grave concerns in the public mind. Such illegal activities in the area are not new. The whole ugly business began prior to 2006, and the caretaker government that followed did well by knocking down all the unauthorised sawmills set up there. Today, things are back to square one. Where no sawmill should be built within ten kilometres of a reserve forest, we have 52 operating within 100-200 metres of the forests.
That a nexus of corruption involving forestry officials and local ruling party elements is at work here cannot be ruled out. Such corruption and everything else going wrong with the forests must be stamped out now. As it is, lopsided urban development has already led to a disappearance of trees in towns and cities. If now it is the turn of reserve forests and other green spots to lose their basic elements, it will be stark environmental disaster we will soon be staring at. Will the government wake up to the danger?
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