AL men fell govt trees

The stump of one of the five over-30-year-old timber trees, situated in Patuakahli district town and owned by Public Works Department, cut down by some ruling Awami League leaders on Thursday.Photo: STAR

Some ruling Awami League leaders on Thursday illegally cut down five timber trees at the Public Works Department (PWD) land in the town without taking any permission from it.
The five were among over a hundred trees, which are lining two banks of a four-acre pond, owned by the PWD. The trees are more than 30 years old.
AKM Kamruzzaman, executive engineer of the PWD, said they had stopped the tree felling and would keep the chopped down trees under their custody.
Visiting the spot Thursday, this correspondent found Md Shahjahan Bhuiyan, organising secretary of AL sadar upazila, cutting down the trees by labourers.
When approached, he asked the correspondent to contact Kazi Alamgir, organising secretary of the district unit AL.
Alamgir told The Daily Star they were cutting the trees to "help a poor woman, who used to nurse the trees, marry off her daughter".
Alamgir also requested him not to report the incident.