Around 25,000 trees along the Dhaka-Sylhet track in Lawachhara rain forest will be cut down soon to facilitate rail communication between the Dhaka-Sylhet and Dhaka-Chiitagong rail routes.
The Bangladesh Railway has sent a letter to forest department, Komolganj range with an entreaty to fell about 25,000 trees along rail track in order to make train journey safe.
Local sources said around 4,00 trees had already been cut down at Khasiapunji inside Lawachhara forest.
Confirming the move, Assistant Executive Engineer of Bangladesh Railway, Sylhet Mujibur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune that plying of train through Lawachhara rain forest had turned risky because of trees.
“To make rail communication safe, we have to cut the trees, there is no other option. But the number of trees would be less than 25,000,” he said.
Estate Officer of Komolganj forest range told the Dhaka Tribune that they had already started cutting of 5,000 trees which had been planted under social forestation programme.
Beat officer of Lawachhara forest Rezaul Karim told the Dhaka Tribune they had cut down 400 trees at Khasiapunji following the existing forest law. He also asserted that ecology would not be affected by the tree felling.
On April 9, a letter signed by Md Arman Hossain, divisional engineer of Bangladesh Railway, was sent to Kamolganj forest range office asking the forest department to sever trees along rail track of Srimongal-Bhanugachh section's five kilometre areas.
The letter said train communication on the rail track in the area during summer season turned risky as sometimes trees uprooted by storm laid in the area's rail track that could lead to a fatal accident anytime.
The letter also mentioned that inter-district Upobon Express Train got struck as about 30 trees laid on rail track after being uprooted by storm on April 21, 2015.
Meanwhile, the move to fall a large amount of trees from a national forest has drew criticism from the people working for the environment.
Abdul Karim, general secretary of BAPA Sylhet division, said Lawachhara was the major nurture reserve in the country and Bangladesh government declared it a national park in 1997 considering its ecological importance.
“Cutting down a large number of trees from the forest will be suicidal. To make rail communication safe, the government should trim branches of trees which is enough to avoid any accident,” he said.
ASM Salek Sohel, general secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Bachao Andolon (BAPA), Moulvibazar, said if the trees were fell down, the habitat of wild creatures would face grave crisis in future.
He also warned of tough movement against the move after the Eid.
General Secretary of Environmentalist Journalist Forum Md Nurul Mohmain Milton said greenery from the national forest was decreasing day by day due to construction of several roads through the forest. If the trees were fell down, the forest creatures life would come to a stake in future.
The park is located at Kamalganj upazila, Moulvibazar in the northeastern region of the country.
