Disaster averted, for now

It is a natural forest covering 5,630.40 acres of land. There are many species of trees, bamboo groves and wild animals. All their lives will be endangered if the road is constructed through the forest.

Alauddin Range Officer, Juri Forest Department

Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) has taken an initiative to construct a road through Lathitila Protected Forest in Moulvibazar's Juri Upazila.

However, forest officials said LGED did not take any no objection certificate (NOC) from the forest department before initiating the project. According to forest officials, the forest's ecology and biodiversity may be endangered if the road is constructed.

The construction is currently suspended after forest officials' intervention.  Around two months ago, the LGED floated a tender to construct a one-kilometre road from Lathichhara to Rupachhara through the forest.

The project was assigned to "Paradise Construction", a local firm, and the estimated cost was Tk 96 lakh, according to LGED officials. The work started on April 2 and was scheduled to be completed by September 29.

It was after bricks were set on the pathway to demarcate the road when the issue was noticed by forest officials.

"The LGED office did not inform us anything about the project beforehand," said Salah Uddin, a beat officer of the Lathitila forest department.

"Later, we sent an official letter to LGED's upazila office requesting to cancel the project immediately," he told this correspondent.

"It is a natural forest covering 5,630.40 acres of land. There are many species of trees, bamboo groves and wild animals. All their lives will be endangered if the road is constructed through the forest," said Alauddin, range officer of the Juri Forest Department.

"There is a large old teak garden in the area. Timber smugglers will get more scopes for their activities if the road is constructed," said Abdul Karim Kim, general secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon's (Bapa) Sylhet chapter.

Saidul Islam, proprietor of Paradise Construction, said, "We were compelled to stop the construction due to some legal complications. We might incur losses as well."

Contacted, LGED's Juri upazila engineer Abdul Matin said they had initiated the project following a demand order (DO) letter from the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry.

"The final decision will be taken after consulting with the minister," he added.

This correspondent could not reach the environment minister over the phone despite repeated attempts.