Destruction of Hills: Railway at it too in Barlekha
Defying laws intended to conserve the nature and forests in the country, different organisations affiliated with the government continue to destroy natural topography in the name of various development projects across the country.
Bangladesh Railway (BR) is no different. Under a project titled 'Rehabilitation of Kulaura-Shahbazpur Section of Bangladesh Railway', the BR has been razing two large hills on about 4,500 square feet area in Barlekha upazila of Moulvibazar.
The dirt gathered from the hills, located in Burargul area of Shahbazpur union, are being used to level the sunken sections of the base where new rail tracks would be built under the Kulaura-Shahbazpur project, said locals.
After this correspondent drew attention of Nusrat Laila Nira, assistant commissioner (land) in Barlekha upazila, on the illegal hill cutting by the BR in the upazila, she said she also received reports that the BR was cutting hills in the area to use the soil for making foundation for rail tracks.
She however confirmed that no approval was issued to the BR for cutting hills for the purpose of filling up the foundation of rail tracks under the Kulaura-Shahbazpur project as the BR was already allocated funds for procurement of soil from outside sources.
"I visited the hilly area, but couldn't find anyone... legal action will be taken against them [the violators] soon," she said.
Contacted, Badrul Huda, assistant director of Department of Environment (DoE) in Moulvibazar, said they found evidence of unlawful cutting of hills in Barlekha and the use of soil from the hills in the railway project.
He said after he reached the site of the hills early this month, the workers engaged in the hill cutting fled the scene, leaving behind an excavator.
"This is absolutely illegal" as the DoE did not issue any clearance to any organisation for razing hills in the area, he said.
"Cutting hills without obtaining permission from the government is a punishable offence. I sent detailed report to our high-ups. They [the offenders] will face legal action including lawsuits."
During a recent visit to Burargul area, north of Shahbazpur union, this correspondent saw almost half of the two hills were almost levelled to the ground and assisted by nearly seven to eight workers, mechanised diggers were loading the soil onto tipper trucks, four to six in total.
The workers said the hills were owned by Faisal Ahmed, Rafiz Ali, Shawab Ali, Abdul Latif and Cherag Ali.
Sharif Uddin and Zulhas Mia, two of the drivers of the vehicles, said the soil was being taken for the railway development work.
One of the workers, requesting not to be named, said they were working at the instruction of Firoz Mia, a railway staffer, and Faisal Ahmed, an expatriate in Saudi Arabia.
The workers were being paid on daily basis, he also said.
Locals said the hill cutting has been going on for about a month, mostly at nights.
Amina Begum, wife of Rafiz Ali, one of the owners of the hills, said, "The railway people are cutting the hills" and the excavator and trucks belonged to the railway.
Another hill owner, Faisal Ahmed, said, he agreed to cut the hills at the request of BR staffer Firoz Mia so the soil could be used to fill up low-lying areas for the new rail tracks.
He also claimed that Firoz Mia has all necessary "documents including the clearance from the DoE".
Firoz Mia could not be reached for his comments as his cell phone was found switched off.
The cell phone of Tanvirul Islam, additional chief engineer of Bangladesh Railway and director of the Kulaura-Shahbazpur project of the BR, was also unreachable.
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