On April 24, a massive fire broke out at Kamalganj Lawachhara Reserve Forest in Moulvibazar. The firefighters reportedly tried their level best, but they faced difficulty in reaching the place due to lack of road in deep forest and scarcity of water. The reason behind the fire and the amount of loss are yet not known. A two-member probe body has been formed to investigate the incident. However, it is learnt that the fire has burnt at least 1.5 acres of forest, causing substantial damage to the trees and biodiversity of the zone. Quoting local sources, different media outlets reported that a vested group intentionally ignited the fire to grab forest land.
Fire in the forests is nothing new in our country. After all fire incidents, probe bodies are formed, but the reports do not see the day light. As per Forest Department statistics, about 90 acres of forest land were burnt in 31 fire incidents in the last 19 years in the Sundarbans. Only Chandpai Range of the Sundarbans saw 14 incidents of fire in the last 12 years; from March 2004 to March 31, 2016, causing damage to its ecosystem. But locals claimed that more forest areas have been destroyed in the fire during the aforesaid period than the Forest Department claimed. The manmade disasters like ‘fire’ and cutting of trees – one after another – have made the UNESCO world heritage site Sundarbans vulnerable to natural calamities. Sinking of oil tankers in Shela River is another phenomenon of destroying the forest. The Chattogram Hill Tracts’ rainforest that houses more than 25 rare species like tigers and elephants has already been destroyed at a terrible rate. This abnormal disappearance of forests in CHT and other hilly areas including Lawachhara has been caused mostly by the influential people with an intention to grab land.
Very recently, a five-star hotel is being constructed in Bandarban allegedly grabbing the ancestral land of indigenous people. On the other hand, some highly influential people backed by the ruling party stalwarts are reportedly involved in most of the fire incidents in the Sundarbans and other forests. The forest land is very lucrative place for different highly-profitable legal and illegal trades, including killing or smuggling of wildlife.
Thugs and thieves are in control of the country. The whole country is available to plunderers. The question is how to save the innocents not belonging to party in power.
