Unprotected Lawacherra

Lawacherra forest in Kamalganj upazila under the district remains highly vulnerable as tree looting goes on unabated in absence of proper fencing and checking arrangements.

In 1996, the forest department declared the area as Lawacherra National Park, comprising 1,250 hectares of reserve forest, and the arrival of domestic and foreign tourists sees a steady rise since then.

About five and a half kilometres of Kamalganj-Srimangal road goes through the forest.

Tree thieves often enter the forest at night, cut trees and take the logs away on trucks, vans and microbuses, allegedly with the help of a section of forest department men and some members of the local co-management committee, locals said.

“The thieves fell and remove trees at night. They tell the people to dig out the roots to use as fuel, thus wiping out evidence that there had been trees there,” said Abdul Wadud, a resident of Ghuramara village close to the forest in Kamalganj upazia.

Phila Pothomi, headman of Lawacherra punjee, said forest department workers and Khasi people try to protect the valuable trees in the forest but the roadside trees cannot be properly guarded.

Besides, wild animals roaming around in the forest at night are sometimes crushed under the wheels of vehicles plying the road running through the forest, he said.

The loggers cut the trees at different places and then fill the area with earth to hide any evidence of the misdeed, said a tourist guide seeking anonymity.

“Lawacherra wildlife sanctuary is rich in rare species plants and animals but it is being destroyed by loggers,” said Jabed Bhuiyan, joint convenor of Lawacherra Bon O Jibo Boichitro Rokkha Andolon.

“A syndicate fells trees in the forest and sells those with the support of a section of people in the local administration, law enforcement agencies and the forest department. We must save the forests to save our environment,” he added.

Contacted, Tabibur Rahman, assistant conservator of wildlife management and nature conservation department in Moulvibazar, said they seized logs of stolen trees and filed cases against the thieves several times.

“A proposal for changing the route running through the forest is under consideration of the ministry concerned. If it is done, tree looting will be reduced and wild animals will be safe,” he said.