Forest fire: What the investigation committee says

Burnt forest area in Patharia Hills Reserve Forest at Baralekha. Photo - Eye News

The three-member investigation committee formed in connection with the fire in Makhaljura and Dhalchhara areas under Patharia Hills Reserve Forest in Baralekha of Moulvibazar is supposed to submit its report within three working days, but it has not yet been submitted. However, those related to the investigation said that the report has been prepared after the investigation. In the investigation, they found evidence that 1.85 hectares of forest was burnt. Besides, they believe that some miscreants may set fire to the forest for the purpose of coercion.

Chief Assistant Conservator of Forests (Srimangal) of the investigation committee. Maruf Hasan said at seven in the evening on Sunday, "Our investigation work is over." Reports have also been prepared. The report has not been officially submitted yet.

He said that Sylhet Divisional Forest Officer (DOF) formed a three-member committee to investigate the incident. The final report was asked to be submitted within three working days. I received the letter on March 13. I visited the scene that day. The report was supposed to be submitted by the 16th.

In response to the question why it is taking so much time to submit the report, he said, 'It is a little late by one or two days due to a training. Hopefully tomorrow (Monday) from here (training) I will be able to submit the report in the afternoon.

If you want to know what you have found in the investigation, he said, "In the investigation, we have found evidence that 1.85 hectares of forest has been burnt." There was no damage to the plants. Some trees were left with burnt leaves and charred by the fire. There was no damage to the wildlife either.

When asked who set fire to the forest, he said, "We didn't see it." In this regard, the Beat Officer of Baralekha police station has done GDO. However, we suspect that some miscreants may have started the fire for the purpose of extortion.

Earlier on March 7, a fire broke out in the forest area of Makhalzura and Dhalchara areas of Samanbhag Bit. Several hectares of forest land were burnt with bamboo trees and bushes. As a result, the environment and wildlife habitats are under threat. A three-member committee was formed to investigate the incident. In this incident, Nurul Islam, officer of Samanbhag Bit of Forest Department has been withdrawn and attached to Sylhet office.

Local people and environmental activists have complained that forest fires have been deliberately set on reserve for afforestation. In this, the beneficiaries set fire to the forest with the help of dishonest officials of the forest department. They believe that the fire has burnt about 40 hectares of forest land, bamboo trees and bushes. It has caused severe damage to the environment. Biodiversity is under threat. The forest department is trying to cover up the incident. However, it was said by the forest department that the fire started from the leftover cigarette left by someone. About 1.85 hectares of forest land has been burnt in the fire.

Local people said that the fire was set deliberately to plant trees in the forest. In this, the beneficiaries set fire to the forest with the help of the forest department. In the fire, various species of bamboo trees and bushes that grow naturally inside the forest have been burnt. Biodiversity has been severely damaged. A few elephants in the wild have fled to India fearing for their lives. The forest burned for five-six days. Even after informing the forest department people, they did not pay attention to it. If given importance in the beginning, so many forests would not have been burnt.

According to the related sources, the area of Samanbhag reserved forest under Patharia Hills Reserve Forest is 1 thousand 850 hectares. Samanbhag Forest is an evergreen forest area in the northeastern part of Bangladesh and is one of the protected forest areas in Bangladesh to protect flora and fauna. On the afternoon of March 7, a fire broke out in the forest area of Makhalzura and Dhalchara area of Samanbhag Bit. In the fire, several hectares of forest, bamboo trees and bushes were burnt to ashes. After getting the information, the forest department people put out the fire after a long effort. However, the natural environment of the forest has been destroyed by the fire, the habitat of wild animals has been destroyed. Nurul Islam, an officer of the forest department's sub-division division, made a general diary at the Baralekha police station on March 11 regarding the forest fire.

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