Hilly district Bandarban, one of the most abundantly resourceful regions of the country, is losing its biodiversity and ecology due to tobacco cultivation.
According to sources, although there is no specific calculation, experts and local authorities assumed that over 80 percent of all arable lands in the district are presently under tobacco cultivation, losing land fertility and causing serious and rapid deforestation, and public health hazards.
Bandarban Agriculture Extension Office sources said the crop had been cultivated on 2,735 acres land this year.
Visiting the hilly remote areas, it was found that British American Tobacco (BAT), Dhaka Tobacco and Abul Khayer Tobacco, among other companies, are enforcing the farmers to grow tobacco for their factories.
“I’ve been producing tobacco for the last 11 years as I found it more profitable than other crops,” Shwe Mong, a 45-year-old farmer in Jamchori Mukpara village in Kalaghata area.
Unai Ching, local BAT supervisor in Bandarban, said his company has an agreement with a group of farmers to help grow and purchase tobacco at the field so that they (farmers) do not face any problems in marketing their produce.
“A farmer can make profit of Tk 80,000-90,000 by cultivation tobacco on each acre of land a season,” he said.
Meanwhile, farmers, experts and local leaders admitted that deforestation has been taking place in the hilly areas as huge woods are being used to make fire for processing the tobacco leaves.
“Tobacco cultivation has increased in the last couple of year. For tobacco processing, huge amount of woods are burnt causing deforestation,” said Kamal Uddin, chairman of Bamo Bilchori Union Parishad in Lama upazila of the district.
He said tobacco is cultivated on some 2,000-3,000 acres of land under his union every year and of the total inhabitants, over 80 percent are involved in cultivating tobacco.
The crop has been cultivated beside the lands on Noyapara Govt Primary School, Mangthai Headman Para Govt Primary School, Mangching Govt Primary School and beside Chankhang Union Parishad office threatening to health of the locals and students in Lama upazila.
Md Anisur, president of Mirjhiree Govt Primary School in Naikhongchhari upazila had cultivated the crop on the land nearby the school.
Mursida Akter, Class V student of the school said they cannot give concentration to their classes due to vomiting, headache and many other diseases from the tobacco.
Uthai Chakma, Class V student Bilchari Govt Primary School said: “ We have to reach the school by crossing tobacco filed which is very harmful to our health.”
Pro Marama Class IV student of the school said: “ When the tobacco is burnt, we cannot stay in classes due to illness.” It has been alleged that a group of illegal traders are active in the region supplying firewood to the burners operated by tobacco traders, right under the nose of the forest department.
“Everything they do including chopping trees, carrying and bringing them to the tanduls, they do with the knowledge of the authorities concerned,” said a forest guard of the Alikodom forest beat of Matamuhuri Range, seeking anonymity.
Sirajul Islam, a farmer at the Ali Kodom upazila of Bandarban, said tobacco companies pay the cost of production in advance, with the guarantee that their produces would be sold as soon as they are done with cultivation.
Experts say this kind of strategy helps boost the morale of farmers who usually have difficulty producing cereal crops such as rice and have little chances that their production would bring hefty returns.
According to the BATB website, the British American Tobacco Group holds 65.91% of the shares in BATB. Other shareholders are the Investment Corporation of Bangladesh, Shadharan Bima Corporation, Bangladesh Shilpa Rin Shangstha, the Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Sena Kalyan Shangstha and other members of the public.
