ACCORDING to media reports on Thursday, the Forest Department has planned to build a safari park on 5,631 acres of land in the lone biodiversity-rich Lathitila reserved forest in Juri upazila of Moulvibazar at an estimated cost of Tk 980 crore. Lathitila, a mixed-evergreen and stream-fed hilly forest, is one of the six trans-border forest reserves in the country’s northeast.
Usually, construction of any infrastructure and people’s entry is prohibited in a reserved forest where wildlife roams freely while tourists visit with safety measures. This forest is located only 20 kilometres south of Madhabkunda Eco Park and 50 kilometres north of Lawachara Eco Park. This is a habitat to elephants, gibbons, barking deer, northern pig-tailed macaque, Assam macaque and languors. Wildlife and environment experts observed that the biodiversity of these eco-park and water bodies there are under severe threat. Besides, the proposed new safari park will house African animals, dolphins, and exotic bird species. Thus, the experts apprehend the fate of the biodiversity stronghold will be at stake.
A section of the local political leaders said Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Shahab Uddin wants to establish this billion-taka safari park as part of the large-scale development work in his Barlekha and Juri constituency. However, the lawmaker of Moulvibazar’s Sadar constituency Nesar Ahmed thinks that Lathitila forest is not a suitable place to establish a safari park because of its rich forestry and wildlife. Different feasibility studies conducted by various government and private organisations on the proposed safari park project have mentioned that construction of various infrastructures for tourists and heavy equipment, including power transmission lines and substations will be set up at the new project with projected 8 lakh to 10 lakh tourist visits annually. We are with the greens because the proposed safari park in the biodiversity-rich Lathitila forest will eventually destroy its environment.
