Over 100 trees are being felled on the Dhaka-Barisal Highway at Bhurghata under the pretext of ensuring safety of home-bound passengers ahead of Eid.
Although officials of Roads and Highway department claimed that they were only trimming branches of trees to avoid road accident, in reality workers were appointed by them are actually cutting down entire trees.
During a visit on the spot yesterday, this correspondent found that workers were seen cutting trees and logs as well as branches of trees were being piled up.
When contacted, Mizanur Rahman, work assistant of roads and highway department, said only branches of some Korai, Shishu, Mehagani, Chambol, Rain trees were cut down on Barisal-Bhurghata portion of the highway for the safety of passengers ahead of Eid.
He said in the recent years they had observed that people, who travel on bus roofs, become victims of road accident.
“To avoid further road accident on the highway, we have taken decision to cut some branches of trees,” he said.
Md Nasiruddin, sub-assistant engineer of Roads and Highway department acknowledged that some trees were totally cut down and the branches of some others have been cut down for ensuring safe journey of the Eid passengers.
The official, however, acknowledged that no prior tenders were called for the work because of a shortage of time.
Sukumar Biswas, director of department of environment, Barisal office, said cutting of trees without a coordinated decision by departments concerned was prohibited under existing laws.
He said the departments concerned must consider the risk of cutting trees before taking any decision to do so.
Divisional Forest Officer Abdul Kuddus Bhuiya said he was not aware of the tree felling.
Md Khaled Shahed, executive engineer, Roads and Highway department, Barisal said the work of trimming branches of trees for safety of the road passengers and transports were done without any tender by the order of Dhaka head office. He said he has not been informed about the entire tree being felled.