400 trees felled at DC’s instruction

Over a hundred old trees and around 300 young fruit trees were cut in Meghla tourist spot area during the last one month.

The trees were felled at the instruction of Deputy Commissioner (DC) Md Daudul Islam to cultivate malta fruit there, said nezarat deputy collector (NDC) Md Kamruzzaman.

In 2016, former NDC Hossain Mohammad Al-Muzahid, following instructions from the then DC Dilip Banik arranged planting various fruit trees there on around two acres of land, said sources at the district administration office.

“I am really shocked to hear about the cutting of the fruit trees that we planted in 2016. Over a hundred old trees have also been felled in the area,” Muzahid said.

Asked about the matter, DC Daudul Islam said, “I have got the trees felled for making a malta orchard.”

Bipul Krishna Das, divisional forest officer in the district, declined to say whether the DC took permission from the department for cutting the trees.

He requested this correspondent to contact with the DC to know about the matter.