JU’s greenery must be preserved
It is truly shocking that Jahangirnagar University, known for its tranquil, green campus, is gradually losing its greenery to various development projects. Recently, around 50 trees were felled in front of the Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) building to make way for an extension under the Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences. After this sparked outrage among students and environmental activists, both the VC and the director of the university's "Further Development Project" said they had no clue about the incident. The director stressed that he did not give permission to cut the trees, while the VC insisted that he was not informed about the removal of so many trees.
The question is, how can a contractor firm fell trees without prior permission from the authorities concerned? Who, then, is really responsible for this violation? Unfortunately, this episode comes after the JU administration's earlier assurance that no construction involving tree felling would proceed without the visible development of a master plan. JU has already lost its vast greenery and water bodies due to such construction works. A recent land use study—analysing data from 1988 to 2023—revealed that the campus has lost nearly 40 percent of its water bodies over the past three and a half decades. The study also found that the university's original master plan, designed in 1968 by the eminent architect Mazharul Islam, has been largely neglected in subsequent development projects.
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Despite repeated protests from students and environmentalists, tree felling has continued unabated. In the latest case, the manager of the contractor firm said that his workers went to fell the trees as the students of the mathematics department told him to do so. This raises another question: can the students authorise such a task without the authorities' approval? Such environmentally harmful activities pose a serious threat to the campus's biodiversity and ecological balance. Too often, development projects are carried out without any prior biodiversity assessment. A university biodiversity team has warned that the proposed "Further Development Project" could result in the loss of 2,055 plants from 28 species.
We, therefore, call on the authorities to immediately halt all environmentally destructive projects and activities. It is imperative that a comprehensive master plan is developed for the JU to protect its greenery and water bodies. As for the latest violation, the administration must conduct a transparent investigation and hold those responsible accountable. Indiscriminate cutting of trees must stop.
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