Anisul Isalm Noor :
Around 300 business conglomerates and individuals have bought about ten thousand acres of land in the villages adjacent to the Sundarbans, say Rights activists.
Besides, they said, 150 industrial projects, 150 business groups and influential persons have also purchased lands within 10 km radius of the World’s largest mangrove — the Sundarbans. Lands around the Sundarbans are being sold as plots for heavy industries, risking the ecological balance of this natural world heritage site, said the Environmentalists Green activists from home and abroad have been protesting against the Rampal Coal-based Power Project.
In April, Bangladesh’s Environment and Forest Ministry and India’s Forest Ministry jointly published a report titled ‘Status of Tigers in Sundarbans Landscape: India and Bangladesh’.
Centering Rampal
Power Plant
The report says Rampal Power Plant and industrial area adjacent to Sundarbans will be a grave threat to the tigers and other animals in the Sundarbans. But none of the influential here listened the waning of environmental issue.
A ten-kilometre area surrounding the Sundarbans has been declared as an ecologically critical area (ECA). The Environment Ministry had already issued permission to set up 150 industrial projects there. The no-objection certificates are yet to be cancelled despite provision to revoke such permission once the area is declared ECA.
Deputy Secretary of the Ministry Abu Fazal Mohammad Rafiquddin signed the ECA declaration gazette on behalf of President. The order said that any activity that can damage or change the natural features of the water and land of the stipulated area cannot be adopted.
Tigers, deer, dolphins and other wild animals roam the area and so the site was marked as protected for the animals.
Most of the agricultural and marsh lands located between Chila Union and Joymonirgol village in Mongla Upazila, from Dwigraj village to Rampal Upazila, and in Bidyarbahon village of Rampal, Bagerhat, have been sold out. Powerful quarters recently have also begun to purchase land in Dacope, Koira and Paikgachha upazilas of Khulna.
Asked about the environmental hazard, Environment Minister Anwar Hossain said, “As crucial as the Sundarbans is for the country, so is industrialization. We are preparing to approach the Prime Minister for her decision.” Awami League Joint Secretary Mahbub-ul-Hanif, his brother-in-law Kazi Hasan Sharif, MP of Munshiganj-2 Constituency Shagufta Yasmin’s brother Toha Islam and BNP Bagerhat district president MA Salam’s companies received clearance from the Environment Department to set up their business establishments.
Salam said that he was planning to set up a tourist spot on his land. Mahbub-ul-Hanif said, “We are planning to set up industries in those areas but we could not manage any investors so far. This is why I am not doing anything on that land for the time being.” Among the larger companies, S Alam Group and Index Group got clearance. A total of 150 firms, including Mir Group and Likhi Group, did not receive clearance but bought land within 10 km of the area.
Professor of BUET and Energy expert M Tamim said that it would be another blow to the Sundarbans if factories are set up in the Sundarban area.
A total of 21 power and energy projects got clearance, including Index Power and Energy Ltd, Omera Petroleum, Petrodec LPG, Petromax, Basundhara LPG Gas Ltd, SKS LPG Ltd, Rupsa Tank Terminal and Refinery.
The projects with clearance include 50 rice mills, 19 saw mills, nine cement factories, 13 food processing plants, six auto mills, four salt water purification plants, two ship building projects and 38 other projects.
Bangladesh Environmental Conservation Act, the Brick Kiln Act and the Saw Mill Regulation all prohibit building saw mills and brick kilns near forests.
Sunmarin Shipyard Ltd, a sister concern of Quest Group, bought 70 acres of land in Joymonirgol village, adjacent to the Sundarbans. Mahbubul Alam Hanif is the Chairman of Quest Group.
His brother-in-law Hasan Sharif is the Managing Director of Sunmarin Shipyard Ltd.
Also 180 acres of land has been bought in his name in Joymonirgol village.
MP Shagufta Yasmin’s brother Toha Islam initiated construction of a ship breaking yard in his 60 acre land, while Likhi Group bought 600 acres of land near Sundarbans.
