Save Madhupur forests

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Pursuance of wrong policies by successive governments coupled with corruption at different levels including the forest department contributed to the gradual disappearance of the legendary Madhupur jungle in Bangladesh. The present size of the forest is almost one sixth of the original jungle; less than 8,000 acres as against 45,000 acres a few decades ago. A large variety of wildlife, including tigers, black bears and pea fowls, has already disappeared from the jungle because of human encroachments. The traditional sal and medicinal plant forest has vanished. Thousands of acres of the government protected (!) Madhupur National Park are now at the mercy of timber thieves who pay forest officials to fell trees. The forest is fading away very fast and what stands there now is a mere shadow of the original.
Adivasi people and environmentalists opine that introduction of different varieties of plantations in the name of social forestry may not be suitable for the soil and may affect the ecological balance in the long run.
As a signatory to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, Bangladesh should take immediate steps to conserve its natural resources including the Madhupur jungle. We can no longer afford to lose more bio-diversity systems in our country.