Murder of forest officer: Not the first time in Cox’s Bazar
The killing of Sazzaduzzaman, 30, a forest officer in Cox's Bazar, was not the first time that a forest official got killed by those involved in hill razing and tree felling in the forest areas of Cox's Bazar.
Sazzad, a beat officer Dochhari Forest Beat of Ukhiya range under Cox's Bazar South Forest Division, tried to stop a dump truck carrying stolen earth from a razed hill on Sunday when the truck ran over and left him dead on the spot.
Earlier on July 30, 2020, Md Yousuf Uddin, 30, a forest officer of Maheshkhali Range, was injured when he came under attack by miscreants damaging a forest area in order to make space for growing betel leaf.
Yousuf later succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) seven days later.
A case was filed in this connection on August 1, 2020, in which five persons were arrested. However, four of the accused walked out of jail in 2022 after securing bail from the High Court, said Mohammad Belayet Hossen, divisional forest officer, Coastal Afforestation Division, Chattogram.
There were numerous incidents where forest officials came under attacks by culprits involved in felling forest trees and razing hills in Cox's Bazar, he added.
The Department of Environment (DoE) in Cox's Bazar filed over 200 cases in Cox's Bazar in connection with razing of hills illegally. However, there have not been much progress in most of these cases.
"These people are part of an organised syndicate and they are so reckless that they even dare to attack forest officers almost every month since no proper action has ever been taken against them over the years," said Dr Sarwar Alam divisional forest officer of Cox's Bazar South Forest Division.
Meanwhile, a case was filed early yesterday in connection with the killing of Sazzaduzzaman, accusing 15 persons, including eight named accused and unidentified others.
The named accused are: dump truck driver Md Bappi, 23; Syed Alam, 40, and his son Md Tarek, 20; Helal Uddin, 27; Syed Karim, 35; Md Babul, 50; Md Rubel, 24; Kamal Uddin, 39.
Of them, police arrested Syed Karim from the area yesterday morning, confirmed Md Shamim Hossain, officer-in-charge of Ukhiya Police Station.
"Drives are on to arrest the other accused," the OC added.
Gazi Shafiul Alam, a forest officer of Ukhiya Range, said, "We are all traumatised after one of our best officers got killed by the criminals."
"At least five dump trucks involved in transporting soil after razing hills illegally were seized in the last few months. All those trucks, including the one that was used to kill Sazzad, had no registration, and yet those were plying the highway," he added.
Sources said at least 2,000 dump trucks are involved in transporting hill soil in Cox's Bazar.