Most of those officials are from arboriculture department of the housing and public works ministry that is tasked with looking after the trees and beautifying the area.

With the connivance of lumbermen, they have sold a huge number of trees over the years but little had been credited to the government coffers. They have also sold turf from the parliament building premises without permission.

Recently, a probe committee formed by the chief plantation officer has found evidence supporting the allegation that a syndicate has been active in the illegal sale of trees and grass.

Amirul Bahrain, deputy divisional officer of the arboriculture department at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, and his deputies Mohsin and Nasir Hossain have been involved in the bootlegging, says the probe report.

Contacted, Amirul said he won't say a word about the allegations.

The probe committee found that Amirul Bahrain and his associates felled a good number of trees in Zia Udyan, also known as Chandrima Udyan. Currently, not a single tree stands within a 100-yard radius of the former president Ziaur Rahman's mausoleum. Whereas, only a couple of years back, trees like acacia and jarul would adorn the place and each of those should sell at between Tk 5,000 and Tk 10,000 as per the current market value.

The probe report said in last year alone, five acacia and a shishu trees were chopped down. The collective price of those was not less than Tk 40,000 when Amirul deposited only Tk 8,000 to the government fund.

Besides, 90 acacia, koroi, jarul and trees of a few other species on the east-west of Zia Udyan were sold for Tk 90,000. But only Tk 12,000 went to the government fund.

The officials in question had informed the authorities that only nine trees were sold during that time. The trees were uprooted in a way so there remains no sign of tree felling, the report noted.

The probe team also found that many trees around the under-construction public toilet and canteen inside the Zia Udyan too were felled. But it was not mentioned in the tree survey report.

The clique also sold acacia, koroi, and raintrees of the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) for Tk 31,000 but added only Tk 6,000 to the exchequers.

The same group sold grass of the parliament building lawns for Tk 65,000 to some individuals from Gabtoli. The incident was first of its kind in the Sangsad Bhaban area, the probe report observed.

The report says that some people show up at the premises early in the morning and go away with sackfuls of grass unchallenged.

The government has appointed 12 gardeners and bought three mowers for them to keep the lawn manicured. But the accused officials told the probe committee that 12-men garden staff was never enough for the upkeep of such a broad expanse of lawn.

Chief Plantation Officer Emdadul Haq told The Daily Star that he had joined the post just a few months ago. He said he too has heard about the allegations and formed the probe committee.

Following the report, the higher authorities have formed another committee and an investigation is on.