The BR (East) has no appropriate data about the number of trees it has
A syndicate of local Awami League and BNP men of Chittagong city’s Ambagan-Pahartoli area has been making a quick buck by selling age-old trees of Bangladesh Railway (BR) East Zone in connivance with railway officials for a long time.
However, the BR (East) has no appropriate data about the number of trees it has, said Divisional Engineer 2 Tarun Kanti Bala of the BR (East).
According to the BR (East) Estate Department sources, about 521.34 acres of land of the BR (East) were occupied illegally out of a total 24,401.62 acres. Of the 7, 701 acres of land of Chittagong division grabbers took control of 81.23 acres.
A high official of the BR (East) seeking anonymity said the grabbers could do so as the railway itself does not know how many trees it has.
The syndicate chopped down a good number of age-old trees standing in rows on both sides of a road on the railway land stretching from the port city’s Tigerpass Intersection to Pahartoli Police Bit area.
The members of the syndicate sold those century-old trees in between last Thursday night and Saturday afternoon.
BR (East) sources alleged that felling trees could not have been done without the knowledge of Divisional Engineer-2Tarunas the area from where trees were cut down fell under his jurisdiction.
Woodcutters said they were cutting trees on the instruction of local Awami League leader and former Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) Councillor Mohammad Hossain Hiron, Juba Dal activists Sohel, Arman and several
others.
The syndicate using political clouts of both the ruling Awami League and BNP are allegedly involved in cutting trees in the name of facilitating the ongoing road expansion project of the CCC.
BR (East) General Manager Mohammed Moqbul Ahmed said neither the CCC nor anybody took any permission from the railway authorities to cut down the trees.
When contacted CCC Executive Engineer Saleh Ahmad said he was unaware of the incident.
As the matter was brought to the notice the railway authorities formed a three-member committee headed by Divisional Engineer-2TarunKantiBala to investigate the matter.
Meanwhile, the BR officials have recently seized a truck loaded with logs of illegally felled trees. The driver and two labourers – SunltanGazi and Sabuj – inthe evening and handed them over to Khulshi police station.
Senior Sub-Assistant Engineer Amir Hossain of the BR (East) lodged a case with Khulshi police station accusing the two arrestees and six to seven other unidentified people.
After interrogating the duo, Sub-Inspector Lokman Hossain of Khulshi police station, also the investigation officer of the case,said they initially found Shohel and Arman involved in cutting down trees.
BR (East) sources said that railway has 450 acres of land in Ambagan-Pahartoli areas where the AL-BNP syndicate grabbed some land and sell the trees there to which the railway authorities are turning a blind eye.
Divisional Engineer 2 Tarun, head of the probe body, however, said local BNP men were involved inthe illegal felling of trees in the area.
“Mr Hiron is a good and honest man and public leader. He has no connection with the incident,” he said even before starting the investigation intothe matter.
When asked how he was sure about Hiron’s innocence while the tree cutting labourers mentioned Hiron’s name, the probe committee head evaded the question.
Chief Engineer AKM Mahbubul Alam of the BR (East) said the investigation was going on and everything would come to light after the investigation.
Source: UNB Connect
