<i>A unique punishment for forest plunderers</i>
Offenders have to plant 50,000 saplings they uprooted in Modhupur
The residents of four villages in Madhupur upazila in the district will have to plant 50,000 saplings on 200 acres of forestlands at their own cost within 15 days as penalty for uprooting about the same number of newly planted forest-tree saplings.
This decision was taken at a meeting organised by the local administration and forest department in Madhupur Upazila Nirbahi Officer's (UNO) Office on Sunday.
On September 30, about 300 people of Ragamari, Burakuri, Surental and Quiertal villages under Sholakuri union in the upazila uprooted the newly planted tree saplings on 200 acres of fallen forestlands under Dokhala Range, local administration and forest department sources said.
Later the villagers tried to grab the forestlands but the authorities foiled their attempt, they said.
Forest department, however, desisted from filing any case against the villagers and called them to attend Sunday's meeting.
Divisional Forest Officer in Tangail Abdullah-al-Mamun Chowdhury, Madhupur Upazila Nirbahi Officer MA Parvez Rahim, Assistant Forest Conservator in Madhupur Rabindranath Adhikari and Sholakuri union parishad Chairman Yaqub Ali were present, among others, at the meeting attended by a good number of people of the four villages.
When contacted, Madhupur UNO Parvez Rahim told The Daily Star that they have arranged the 'unique punishment' instead of taking any legal step against the villagers with a view to raising good sense in their mind.
Meanwhile, forest department with the help of local administration and joint forces recovered some 3,600 acres of forestlands in Madhupur and Dhanbari upazilas since February 15 this year.
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