Gaibandha Krishak League leader held for illegal tree felling

Remains of a trunk and logs from six trees, illegally felled allegedly by a district Krishak League leader beside Gaibandha-Lakkhipur-Sundarganj road on August 2.Photo: STAR

Police on Friday night arrested district Krishak League leader Abdul Hannan from his home at Ujir Dharani village in Gaibandha Sadar upazila on charge of felling roadside trees.
Hannan, fish and livestock affairs secretary of Gaibandha district Krishak League, felled six large trees beside Gaibandha-Laxmipur-Sundarganj road and chopped off branches of eight more trees under Gaibandha zila parishad on August 2, goes statement of a case filed with Gaibandha Sadar police station.
The cost of the cut down trees will be approximately Tk five lakh.
Hannan allegedly prepared a false auction paper for cutting down nine branches of eight roadside trees at Laxmipur on GaibandhaSundarganj road.
Abdul Karim, chairman of Lakkhipur union parishad, however denied holding any auction in this regard.
"I never signed any such auction paper. Earlier, sensing a conspiracy to cut down roadside trees, I filed complaints to the chief executive officer of Gaibandha Zila Parishad. But on August 2, a section of people felled six large rain trees and chopped off nine big branches of eight other rain trees at night, beyond my knowledge," he said in a written statement.
Later on August 6, former member of Lakkhipur union parishad Sohrab Hossain and local social worker Rafiqul Islam filed allegation against unauthorised felling of roadside trees and the zila parishad authority formed a two-member committee with parishad Secretary ATM Abdullahel Baki and Assistant Engineer Solaiman Ali to investigate the matter.
On investigation, the team confirmed felling of six large rain trees and cutting of nine branches of eight other trees. The team identified roots of two cut down trees while four other trees were uprooted. The team also traced out a few logs of the felled trees.
On August 14, the zila parishad authority filed a case against Abdul Hannan with Gaibandha Sadar police station.
Asked about the matter, Hannan said, "I cut off nine branches of eight trees as per valid auction order, but I am ignorant about the felling of six other trees."
Legal step is being taken against the tree fellers as per rules, said Kallol Kumar Chakravarti, chief executive officer of the zila parishad.