Old trees sacrificed for new furniture

Several old trees have allegedly been felled at the dak bungalow of Pabna Zilla Parishad to make furniture for its officials.

While visiting the spot yesterday, this correspondent found new soil leveled with the surface in a corner, in front of the bungalow, as if someone cut the trees and tried to level it.

Several employees of zilla parishad said trees were cut down during the last few days to make furniture for officials, without offering any tender.

They, however, couldn't confirm the number of felled trees.

Talking to The Daily Star, Kazi Atiur Rahman, chief executive officer of Pabna Zilla Parishad, denied the allegation, saying no trees were felled.

Regarding the leveled earth, the CEO said, "There was a huge amount of garbage around the premises. We have taken an initiative to remove those. Someone is misleading people."

Meanwhile, pictures of trees being felled at the place went viral on social media.

Kasshopi Bikash Chandra, divisional forest officer in Pabna, said when a government organisation needs to cut trees, it has to call for a tender maintaining departmental rules and the Forest Department will then calculate the price.

"I don't know anything about the tree felling at the dak bungalow. We didn't get any official letter in this regard," said Chandra.

Zilla Parishad chairman-elect Abdur Rahim Pakon, said, "I found the allegation of felling three trees without following official procedures to be true when I visited the spot."

"Dak bungalow's caretaker confirmed it," he said. "As I haven't taken charge yet, I can't take any action. But I am monitoring the matter," said Pakon.