Noman Mosharef :
On the occasion of the celebration of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s 100th birth anniversary, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has planted one crore trees across the country.
But on the hand, the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs has felled a huge number of trees at Suhrawardy Udyan in the name of a ‘mega project’ there. Thus, the government’s spending on tree plantation to make the country ‘green’ is simply going astray. The ministry of Liberation War Affairs, however, was compelled to postpone the project following protest by the students and eco-activists.
Meanwhile, the High Court on May 11 also issued a verbal order to halt cutting trees at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan.
The government also declared St Martin’s island as an ‘Environmentally Critical Area’ in 1999. The Ecologically Critical Area Management Rule-2016 says construction of concrete buildings; opening of hotels and resorts, and people’s movement in the island will have to be controlled.
But denying the laws, illegal construction boomed in St Martin’s island.
Various govt. organizations such as the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Bangladesh Police and Bangladesh Coast Guard have built building structures with government fund. As a result, about 200 hotels, resorts and restaurants were set up in St. Martin’s Island. Also the Ministry of Shipping has cleared the permission of cruise and tourist laden marine vehicles.
Cox’s Bazar is one of the most climate change vulnerable district in the country. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has been spending huge amount of money in the name of tree plantation there. But the Ministry of Railways has cut down a large-scale tress from the reserve forest for making railway connection there and also destroyed hills.
According to Forest Department, they have handed over about 1.60 lakh acres forests to different people, and private and public organizations.
According to environmentalist, due to ambivalent behavior of the government institutions, both the money and environment are being destroyed. Lack of central co-ordination is responsible for environmental degradation, they think.
Save Our Sea, an eco-friendly organization’s director and marine explorer SM Atikur Rahman said, there is no government organization that has not own a resort in St. Martin’s Island. It a matter of sorrow that the government is allocating budget for reserving the Island while the other institutions are destroying.
He said, when the environmentalists raise their voice for saving environment, the tourism authorities clarify that there are huge potentiality to earn more from tourism in the Island.
University of Dhaka Botany Department Professor Dr Jasim Uddin said the scenario of destroying the forest and environment in the name of development are common across the county. We are not against the development, but we want sustainable development.
Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) Join Secretary Dr Ahmad Kamruzzaman Mazumdar said, before planning any development project, it is to survey the cost of environmental loss. But it is not following now a day.
In this way, the country’s environment is being ruined day by day and the government’s money is also going wasted.
He said it was necessary to make it mandatory to get clearance from the Environment Ministry before planning all types of development projects. At the same time, central monitoring system is needed to protect the environment through which the destructive activities of all the ministries will be controlled.
Therefore, this environmentalist suggested the formation of a Central Environmental Protection Board comprising all stakeholders.
