Feasting on forests, govt lands

A 'grabbed' forest (left) is being cleared of tees in Chwarandwip in Chokoria and an enclosure created in Mokeshkhali for shrimp cultivation. PHOTO: Star File Photo

The alleged land grabbers include some influential leaders of a ruling party and Union Parishads, official sources said.

Despite filing of cases by the forest department, land grabbing is going on in the tourist district, mainly to create enclosures for shrimp cultivation.

Cox's Bazar Awami League Secretary Shalauddin Ahammed CIP at a press conference yesterday also alleged that a local ruling party leader alone created 211 enclosures on grabbed lands.

The almost free-style land grabbing and destruction of forests also evoked protests by local environmentalists, journalists, lawyers and citizens' groups, who staged demonstrations and submitted memorandums to the government earlier to save the Paraban and declare it an exclusive tourist area.

Lands and stretches of forests close to the coast are being grabbed one after another in the five upazilas of the district. Court orders for recovery of the lands can not be enforced as the encroachers are influential ruling party leaders, sources claimed.

Forest department officials said land grabbing increased in the last four years while they virtually played the role of an onlooker.

They said about 12,000 out of 27,293 acres of forestland in the district have fallen in the hands of land grabbers during the period.

Most of the grabbed lands are in Gomatoli, Pokkhali, Chawfaldandi, Varuakhali, Tetaya, Khuruskhul and Zhilanga in Sadar upazila; Baro Moheshkhali, Kalamarchhara, Hetalia Ghona, Jhapua, Panirchhara, Kutubzum, Gorok Ghata, Kali Gong, Hoanok, Hariar Chara, Thakur Tala, Fakira Ghona, North Nolbila, Dhal Ghata, Amabayshya Khali, Matar Bari, Shona Dia and Ghati Bhanga in Moheshkhali upazila, they said. Lands have also been grabbed in Chakaria, Pekua, Kutubdia, Ukhiya and Teknaf upazilas for shrimp cultivation.

The forest department filed 458 cases against 1843 encroachers in the last four years, they said.

Courts at different times ordered recovery of 912 acres of forestland-- 320 acres in Dhalghata, 200 in Charandip, 10 in Matarbari, 350 in Siradia and 32 acres in Lemshikhali. But the matter virtually ended there.

Chittagong Coastal Forest Officer M A Khalek said, "We are still filing cases but there has been little progress in either recovery of the lands or taking steps against the encroachers.

"We submitted a list of 15 land grabbers to Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner, seeking the administration's help to recover the lands and forests including the Parabon", he told this correspondent.

Encroachment is continuing as grabbed lands are not recovered and culprits go unpunished, Cox's Bazar Forest Range Officer Kush Kumar Baidya said.

"We got copies of verdicts for recovery of 912 acres of land but can not take any action because of lack of manpower and logistics. The grabbers even threatened us", he alleged.

Talking to this correspondent, advocate Faridul Alam, legal advisor to the Chittagong Coastal Forest Department, also alleged that some high officials of the government help political leaders and influentials in leasing government lands.