The sudden decision by the government of Myanmar to entirely ban the export of timber to Bangladesh might lead to an acute shortage in the country’s local market as the neighbouring country is the largest and cheapest source of imported timber.
“The decision by the Myanmar government might be harmful for Bangladeshi customers. Because of this decision, we have to search for alternative sources which will be able to meet the demands of the local market, making timber more costly,” Bangladesh Timber Merchants’ Association Chairman Nasir Uddin Bahadur told the Dhaka Tribune.
Import of a certain type of timber from Indonesia or other tropical countries could raise the cost by around Tk30-50 for each cubic feet or CFT because of the distance, he said.
A statement from Myanma Timber Enterprise said Myanmar’s Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry would prohibit export of logs from April 1, according to a Bangkok Post report published on March 25.
The report also said that the Myanmar authorities had taken the decision because the country’s forest area shrank from 57.9% of its total land area in 1990 to 47.6% in 2005.
BTMA officials said, Bangladesh had been importing around 50 lakh CFT of timber annually to meet local demands. Of them, around 70% or 35 lakh CFT comes from Myanmar, 20% from Malaysia and the rest from different countries including Indonesia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Canada and the US.
“We hope that we will continue receiving timber from Myanmar for atleast the next few months, so that we are able to receive the products that have already been ordered. We will then have to find other sources if the Myanmar government continues to impose the ban,” Nasir Uddin observed.
Bangladesh has largely been dependent on timber from Myanmar, ever since 1989, after the Bangladesh government imposed a moratorium on log cutting from any natural forest.
Forest Department officials said they were concerned over the Myanmar government’s decision, saying it could result in an increase of illegal wood chopping in natural forest areas in Chittagong.
Md Akbar Hossain, conservator of forest of Chittagong Circle said forest officials have to be more vigilant in checking for possible signs of deforestation.
