Bangladesh has 0.02 hectares of forest per capita. In 1971 it was 0.38 hectares. To keep a balanced environment of a country 25 per cent forests land are necessary. But Bangladesh has only 17 per cent forest land which covers different areas of country. Even this small amount of forest land is facing deforestation.
The social forestry and coastal forestry programme from the Government of Bangladesh can raise people's awareness regarding plantation. According to a report by the Department of Forestry in 2005-07 --- artificial forests constitute 16 per cent of the country's total forest area and others are natural. Artificial forests amount has grown to 20 per cent in 2016. Therefore, the Forest Department has been asked to continue the social forestry and coastal afforestation programme.
According to the Forest Department, 80 per cent of the total forest area of the natural forest covers a wide range of land in Bangladesh. Evergreen forests at the hill region of Chittagong and Sylhet, Mymensingh-Tangail and Rajshahi forests area and coastal mangrove forests are these natural forests. Nowadays these natural forest lands are under threat of deforestation.
In Khagrachari, there are about 26 brick field actively functioning. In these brick fields trees are raw materials ,as fuel and the fertile surface soil are being used to produce brick. The Forest Act refers that, taking soil from agricultural land, forests, hills, hillocks, ponds, canals for brick field are illegal. This kind of illegal land using is happening in Bandarban and Rangamati. On the other hand, Jaflong forest area of Sylhet is occupied as a dumping spot.
The protected forests of Sakhipur of Tangail and Bhaluka of Mymensingh are in danger. Local powerful mafias use horses to carry trees for timber mills. They are publicly buying and selling furniture. A culture has been introduced that the occupation of land occurred by burning the trees in these areas by fire.
Some land hungry groups are building resort on the basis of eco-tourism in the forest area. Forest Act prohibits the establishment of timber mills surrounded 10km protected forest but the mills are increasing day by day.
In the Bhola district, last five years 231 cases are reported regarding cutting down trees. Only last year (2016) 35 cases involving more than 800 people are reported. So the ongoing process of forest destruction is active there.
How much safe the Sundarbans from the deforestation process? At Sundarbans area ship are carrying trees.
All of the deforestation processes are related to local influential persons or forest officer. All activities are happened on the nose of forest officers but they're silent. In some places officer raise their voice but influential people are more powerful than them.
Significant of forest and forest land is more for human beings and wildlife. So it's our responsibility to protect forest and forest land.
Abdul Mannan is an independent researcher
