The Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) on Tuesday sent a letter strongly demanding the immediate suspension of all environmentally destructive activities being carried out in the name of implementing the Further Development Project at Jahangirnagar University, until a proper and eco-friendly master plan is formulated.
In the same letter, BELA also requested that for the construction of the extended building of the Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, and other development works already undertaken, a compensation plantation be arranged with the same species and in sufficient numbers for the trees that have been cut down, based on proper assessment.
The letter was sent to the secretary, Secondary and Higher Education Division, Ministry of Education; the vice-chancellor, Jahangirnagar University; and the dean, Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Jahangirnagar University.
The letter states that Jahangirnagar University is home to various species of trees and endangered wildlife and that the campus also serves as a seasonal sanctuary for migratory birds that flock to its water bodies every winter, earning it the name “Campus of Guest Birds.”
"However, it is unfortunate that a study has found that over the past 35 years, approximately 40% of the university’s water bodies have disappeared and nearly 26.5% of its tree-covered areas have been reduced, which is highly alarming. As a result, the once-thriving wetlands that used to host guest birds are now almost devoid of them.
"Recently, a national daily reported a news article titled 'More than 50 trees uprooted again at Jahangirnagar University.'"
According to the report, on Monday, more than 50 trees, mostly teak and a few jackfruit trees, were felled for constructing the extended building of the Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences.
BELA's statement reads: "A Biodiversity Impact Assessment team composed of several teachers of the university had earlier submitted a field survey report to the project director. According to their report, if construction proceeds on the site where trees were felled on Monday, around 2,055 plants from 28 species will be destroyed, and the area’s vegetation diversity index (2.38) will be lost, posing a significant threat to the local biodiversity.
"Currently, the university administration, under the name 'Further Development Project of Jahangirnagar University,' is indiscriminately clearing forested areas under the pretext of expansion and infrastructure development. This project was finalized without consulting urban planners, the university’s lake management committee, or the master plan formulation committee. In executing this project, the administration has effectively discarded the master plan originally designed by architect Mazharul Islam. The project lacks an approved master plan, and a simple layout plan is being presented as such.
"While the university had initially requested a budget of Tk315 crore for infrastructure development in 2015, it received Tk1,445.36 crore from Ecnec in 2017, nearly five times the original request. Earlier, on April 20, 2025, a tin fence was set up near the Department of Environmental Sciences in preparation for tree cutting for a building project. However, the initiative was suspended after students protested against building construction in the absence of a master plan.
"Notably, on July 14, 2024, several organizations, including BELA, Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa), Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), and Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation (MSF), along with environmental activists, sent a joint letter to the Ministry of Education and the deans and chairmen of departments of the Faculties of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences, Arts and Humanities, and Fine Arts, requesting a halt to environmentally destructive activities under the guise of development at Jahangirnagar University.
"In light of the above circumstances, BELA has submitted a concern letter requesting the immediate suspension of all environmentally destructive undertakings under the university’s development project until a proper and eco-friendly master plan is developed and the implementation of compensation afforestation, using the same tree species and in sufficient number—for all trees already felled during the development works."
