The recent report of a forest in Cox's Bazar being set on fire, allegedly by local influential figures, is yet another sad reminder of just how badly we are failing to protect our ecosystems.
In the report, locals allege that the trees were first cut down and then the entire area was set on fire in order to burn down the remaining parts of the trees. Such activity, it bears mention, is not unprecedented, as a company named Kingshuk Firms Limited had destroyed around 20,000 trees in Perabon in order to set up a fish enclosure.
As a nation whose lush greenery and natural beauty are so inextricably tied to its global identity, it is nothing short of depressing to see the slow death that our forests are being subjected to.
However, it is cases such as these -- where influential figures with vested interests have been known to harm our nation's environmental integrity all in the name of greed -- that are particularly noticeable as the figures in question almost always get away scot-free for their crimes against nature. Thinning forests not only impact the lives and livelihoods of all living creatures, but also give way to more natural calamities, like flooding and landslides, claiming countless lives.
Illegal tree cutting and deforestation have long been a global issue that has invariably resulted in the natural balance being compromised, but its prevalence in our country should be cause for alarm.
It's not enough to simply bring these criminals to book as the real issue is the damage they have caused. The government needs to initiate forestation projects, as planting more trees would be extremely effective in the long run to retain our ecological integrity.
As a nation fighting on the front-lines of the climate crisis, it not only behooves us to be more environmentally aware as citizens it is our moral obligation to do so.
