Roadside tree illegally felled, locals foil further attempt

A few local activists allegedly belonging to Jubo League yesterday felled a roadside tree at Matherganj village beside Dinajpur-Parbatipur road in Chirirbandar upazila under the district and tried to fell another when villagers foiled the bid.

The tree fellers came to Matherganj village with six to seven hired labourers around 7:15am yesterday and started axing trees on both sides of Dinajpur-Parbatipur road there, witnesses said.

Within half an hour, they felled a giant rain tree near the Bailey bridge at Matherganj village and then started cutting another tree on the other side of the road.

As locals gathered there and asked the men why they were felling those trees, their leader said he was awarded a tender to fell 160 trees, said Md Chanchal, a local journalist of Chirirbandar. 

Villagers requested them to show the tender papers, but the latter failed.

As the number of people gathering at the spot rose, the tree fellers left the spot around 10:30am.

Visiting the spot, this correspondent found a rain tree felled while another tree, partially cut on the stump, remained vulnerable to collapse.

There are hundreds of valuable trees on both sides of Dinajpur-Parbatipur road.

"These trees are no longer safe here. We have to arrange round the clock vigilance teams to protect them," said Ayub Ali, a local.

The alleged leader of the tree feller gang could not be contacted as his mobile remained off.

This correspondent also tried to contact Dinajpur Zila Parishad Administrator Azizul Imam Chowdhury, also general secretary of Dinajpur Awami League, but his phone remained off too.

A case will be filed in connection with the felling of trees, said Hasibul Hasan, chairman of Auliapukur union parishad.