Development, but at what cost?

The once solitary, neat and green Tangail town has turned into a concrete jungle within a few decades after mindless tree felling, thanks to unplanned urbanisation.

The ruins started with the expansion of the town post-independence, when construction of different establishments, shops and markets took place indiscriminately, said senior citizens of the town.

To its continuation, the municipality authorities recently felled several old trees between the Shaheed Srity Pouro Udyan and Tangail Club area to widen an intersection of Zila Sadar road.

Although environmentalists and residents of the town made a request to do the project in a way that no trees would need felling, the authorities paid no heed to it.

In its recent development spree, the authorities demolished the lone ancient building inside the park, while the felling of trees has been going on for a decade.

Several workers started cutting down the remaining old trees in the park on Wednesday. Local environmentalists, however, launched instant protests on social media and demanded to put a stop to the felling of trees.

The workers left the site following the protests. However, large branches of the trees were already cut.

"We do not understand why the municipality authorities started felling the old trees of the town's lone park from where greenery has almost vanished," told poet Masum Ferdous.

"Earlier, they destroyed the town by filling all open spaces and water bodies by constructing numerous shops and malls. If this continues, the town will no longer be livable," he added.

Green activist Ratan Ahmed Siddiqui said they have already talked to the municipality's mayor and urged him to stop the felling of old trees at the Udyan.

"If we are not paid heed to, a tougher movement will be launched," he added.

Meanwhile, students of different educational institutions formed a human chain inside the Shaheed Srity Pouro Udyan yesterday, demanding to stop tree felling in the park.

However, Mayor SM Sirajul Haque Khan Alamgir of Tangail municipality said only three old trees were felled between the Pouro Udyan and Tangail Club to reduce traffic jam, per procedure.