10 acres of Cox’s Bazar mangrove forest grabbed overnight

Miscreants grabbed around 10 acres of mangrove forest -- felling thousands of trees -- at Kosturighat area along Bakkhali river in Cox's Bazar early today.

A fence made of corrugated sheet was put up around the forest land.

Ibrahim Khalil Mamun, chief executive of Youth Environment Society based in Cox's Bazar, told The Daily Star that the felling of trees started around 4am early today and continued till morning.

Around 3,0000 trees were felled and burnt to ashes, he said adding that a fence was also erected to grab the forest land.

The mangrove forest was created in 2000 under a project taken by Department of Environment (DoE).

Nazmul Huda, deputy director of DoE, Cox's Bazar told The Daily Star that they filed a case over the tree felling.

"This has been happening over last few months. We filed a total of three cases so far. But we are not being able to stop it, given the shortage of manpower," he said.

Nua Mong, assistant commissioner of Cox's Bazar Sadar upazila, told The Daily Star that they visited the spot in the morning.

Necessary legal action is underway, he added