Four jailed for cutting hill

A mobile court in a drive sentenced four people to one year's imprisonment each for cutting hill at Khawaja Manzil under Cox's Bazar municipality on Sunday.

The convicts are Md Rafique, 28, son of Sultan Ahmed of Badsha Ghona area, Md Nabi Hossain, 26, son of late Abul Hossain, Md Jamal Hossain, 26, son of late Abdus Salam of Dakhhin Mohuri Para, and Md Faruque, 25, son of Abu Bakar Siddique of the same area.

On information, Cox's Bazar Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Habibul Hasan, who led the court, caught the four red handed while they were cutting the hill and punished them.

Equipments used in cutting hill including hammer, saw and machete were seized, said the UNO.

Hill cutting behind Al Amin Academy School in Khawaja Manzil area has been going on for several months, he said.

The seized equipments have been kept under the custody of the Department of Environment (DoE).  Assistant Director at DoE Cox's Bazar office Md Saiful Ashraf was the prosecutor of the court.

Ashraf said one Ahmed Nabi has been involved in the hill cutting and grabbing.