Bangladesh News

Department of Environment (DoE) has primarily identified 155 hilly areas in Chittagong Division that were subjected to illegal hill cutting, and listed over 200 individuals, organisations and business groups as plunderers of hills.

Former fisheries and livestock minister Abdullah Al Noman and detained Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, Chittagong City Corporation (CCC), Kafco and KEPZ and Abul Khair Group are on the DoE list.

The list is based on information collected by seven DoE teams through field visits in Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and the three hill districts of Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban, DoE Director Nazmul Hoque told The Daily Star.

They might finalise the list today and send it to the Ministry of Environment.

The DoE director said they would continue mobile court drives in the affected areas and take legal action against all those responsible for hill cutting.

In the port city, hills were devoured for setting up housing projects, brickfields, hospitals and other establishments in around 48 areas. Fifty people and thirteen organisations and commercial firms were involved in the evil practice.

The DoE teams detected 27 incidents of hill cutting in Sitakunda, 16 in Satkania, 14 in Rangunia and Chandroghona, 14 in Hathazari, 4 in Chandanaish, 5 in Anwara, 5 in Banskhali, 2 in Mirsarai, 4 in Lohagara and 7 in Cox’s Bazar, 5 in Rangamati and 4 in Khagrachhari, DOE sources said.

Abdullah Al Noman levelled huge hills spreading over 10 acres of land on the west of Chittagong Polytechnic Institute till 2006 and gave it to one Md Sagir for setting up a poultry farm.

Mayor Mohiuddin levelled a hill in the name of Thandachhari Chinnamul Asram project at South Pahartali, Prof Rabiul Hossain and SM Morshed Jafar levelled hills for setting up a hospital — Imperial Hospital– in Khulshi area near DoE divisional office.

Two brick kilns of Abul Khair Group and another of Yakub Ali & Sons were set up by devouring hills on the west of the Polytechnic Institute, the sources mentioned.

Indiscriminate hill-cutting went on for developing at least 12 housing projects in the city. These include Nandan Housing and Spandan Properties (North Pahartali), Kube Housing (Khulshi), Chakrsho Kanan (Nasirabad), VIP Residential Project (South Khulshi) of the CCC, Gaosia Lake City (Khulshi), Shapla Housing (Pahartali Biswa Colony) and Khulshi Garden View Housing Project.

Developer of Garden View Project SM Jamir Uddin levelled a large hill spreading over 42 acres of land since 2002, sources said.