Holicherra Tea Garden: 450 trees felled on govt land

Around 450 trees, including at least 52 Akashmani trees, have been illegally felled and sold off on a government land within Luayuni-Holicherra Tea Garden area under Kulaura upazila of Moulvibazar. 

A case has been filed in this connection on April 10, accusing Farooq Ahmad Chowdhury and Mahmud Hasan Prince, the garden's general manager and deputy manager respectively, and 20 unnamed others.

Amir Uddin, a sub-inspector of Kulaura Police Station, said,"Bijay Chandra Sheel, assistant land officer at Brahmanbazar union land office, filed the case under the Forest Act on April 10."

Investigation is going on in this connection, he added.

Confirming the matter, Mehedi Hasan, assistant commissioner (Land) in the upazila said, "A total 450 trees were cut down and sold from the garden. On information, Riaz Uddin, range officer of forest department in the upazila, and I visited the spot on April 8, and observed that the tree stumps were covered with soil and debris to hide the proof. The felled trees are valued around Tk 80 lakh, as per the declaration of lease agreement."

Meanwhile, 23 logs of Akashmoni trees were recovered  from a village near the Tea Estate yesterday. "We think the logs were from the trees felled at Holicherra Tea Garden area," claimed Mehedi.

"They [tea garden authority] violated the lease agreement. Besides, the government has lost revenue," he added.

 Contacted, Mahmud Hasan Prince, deputy manager of the garden, said some trees were cut down in the garden recently after those were damaged in storm.

The wood from these trees would be used for construction of staff quarters and waiting room, he also said.

He, however, claimed that no other tree was cut or sold, adding that they did not know anything about the case.