Jungle Khuniya Palong in Cox’s Bazar: Cancel forest land allocation to BFF

The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change has recently proposed to revoke the order de-reserving 20 acres of forest land in Jungle Khuniya Palong, Ramu upazila, Cox's Bazar.

The proposal, signed by Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan and Secretary Farhina Ahmed, was submitted to the chief adviser on August 28.

The forest land in question had been allocated to the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) for the construction of a "Technical Centre," which spans 25 acres within the reserved forest area of Jungle Khuniya Palong.

According to the letter, the reserved forest covers 4,710.64 acres of hilly terrain and serves as a vital habitat for Asian wild elephants, monkeys, wild boars, and numerous other species, including snakes and birds.

Of the 25 acres controlled by the Forest Department, 20 acres were handed over to the Ministry of Youth and Sports for the centre's construction.

The ministry expressed concerns that the establishment of the BFF's technical centre would severely impact the habitat of Asian wild elephants and the broader forest ecosystem, wildlife, biodiversity, and environment.

Citing Bangladesh's constitutional duty to conserve forests and its commitments under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, the ministry argued that allocating reserved forest land for such development is inappropriate, especially given the country's already limited forest resources.

In 2022, the Awami League-led government had allocated the land to the BFF for constructing a residential training facility, funded by FIFA.