The government has taken the initiative to transfer 9,467 acres of land in Sonadia, Maheshkhali Upazila of Cox's Bazar, to the Forest Department to protect the environment and biodiversity.
The process of transferring the land allocated to the Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (BEZA) to the Forest Department for setting up an eco-tourism park has been initiated.
On Sunday, Shahin Akhtar Sumi, Director of Investment Development and Monitoring-1 at BEZA, requested the Cox's Bazar deputy commissioner to take necessary steps in this regard. This initiative is being carried out under the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change.
The environment and biodiversity of the island have suffered severe damage due to illegal activities on the allocated land, including tree cutting and the construction of shrimp farms. To address this, the transfer of the land to the Forest Department has been initiated. Various activities will be undertaken to restore the environment of the 9,467-acre forest land.
The measures include: eviction of illegal occupants, removal of dams at the mouths of canals and branches to allow tidal water flow, restoration of sandbars, beach conservation, and afforestation along roads connecting various mangrove and non-mangrove species such as Kewa, Nishinda, Coconut, Palm, and Ghatibhanga. Additionally, the restoration of degraded mangrove forests will be carried out.
Moreover, the 9,467-acre area will be declared a protected zone with active participation from the local community. As a result, biodiversity will be preserved, illegal activities will cease, and positive changes will be brought to mitigate natural disasters.
