A local leader of the Awami League in Bandarban’s Lama upazila has allegedly constructed a cottage and a road by cutting down a hill adjoining the Lama-Faitong road.
In doing so, Bathwai Ching Marma, also the chairman of the Gajalia Union Parishad, violated the law as he did not even seek permission in this regard from the authorities concerned, sources said. But no legal action has been taken against him as yet.
Cutting down a hill without the approval of the Department of Environment (DoE) is prohibited under the Bangladesh Environment Protection Act, 1995 (amended in 2000).
Punishment for such an offence is up to two years of imprisonment or a fine of Tk 2 lakh or both for a first offence.
For subsequent offences, the punishment is up to 10 years of imprisonment or a fine of Tk 10 lakh or both.
However, hill-cutting continues across the country despite years of protests and activism.
Bathwai, the Lama upazila unit Awami League chairman, abusing his political influence, has been razing the hill by employing several day labourers and with the help of an excavator even during broad daylight.
The hill is known as Badar Tila at the Aat Kilometre area along the Lama-Faitong road.
Lama’s Upazila Nirbari Officer Md Mostafa Jabed Kaiser claimed that they destroyed a hill-cutting tool seized from the site.
“As we found nobody there, we could not take legal measures against any individual,” he said.
Some of the day labourers, requesting anonymity, said that they were hired for Tk600 a day by Bathwai.
“We’ve been working for more than a week now,” said one of them.
When contacted, Bathwai denied cutting the hill.
“I only reshaped the height of the hill,” he said.
About the road dug by razing the hill, he said that it was already there.
“The road dates back to several decades. Even the local administration visited it recently,” he said.
DoE Deputy Director Md Fakhar Uddin Chowdhury told this correspondent that they would inspect the site in question soon.
“Upon finding evidence of the reported hill cutting, we’ll sue the responsible person,” he added.