Editorial
Threatened reserve forests
Govt must act fast and with force to save the precious resource
LOOTING of the reserve forests in the Chittagong Hill Tracts has reached alarming proportions. The way the illegal loggers in collusion with some dishonest forest officials are depleting the forest resources of Rangamati has again become glaringly evident from a recent report in this paper. But one would again notice the too familiar practice of evading responsibility by the officials concerned, who are pointing fingers at others for the mischief.
Small wonder, the forest officials, on their part, far from accepting responsibility complained of manpower shortage in combating the looters of the forest, including some local people and even Rohingyas. But their denial comes at sharp variance with the statements of some locals, who have admitted to their involvement in illegal logging in Ryingkhiyang reserve forests in collusion with some forest officials.
What also is worrying is that the finger has been pointed even at a local lawmaker for his alleged instruction to the foresters against conducting any raid on a depot in Chittagong where plundered timbers are taken for onward sales. As expected, the allegation was refuted in no time thereby leading the man in the street to wonder about the mystery of the fast vanishing reserve forests under the four upazilas of Rangamati.
Who are then the culprits depleting the forests day in day out? Someone must know. If foresters think they are understaffed and inadequate in number in the face of the powerful gangs involved, then why are they not urging the government to provide them with necessary support? The situation has come to such a pass that the authorised timber merchants of the area from the tribal community have sought the intervention of the state minister for forest in stopping illegal logging in the area.
It appears the gratuitous plundering of the forests has become too ordinary an event for the authorities concerned to take serious note of. It is going on without let-up along with similar other crimes involving grabbing of khas lands and rivers. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of acres of forestland have disappeared. If the situation is allowed to continue unabated, it will be a big question whether there would be any reserve forest left in the country in the future.
It is, therefore, time the authorities came out of their slumber and took urgent and decisive action to save the Rangamati reserve forests. If necessary, the government should arrange deployment of additional forces to help the forest department in its fight against the illegal loggers. At the same time it should take steps for punishing the forest officials, if any, involved in the crime as well.
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