Illegal felling of trees at Panchagarh school premises

At least 30 trees, on the compound of Jotmoniram Government Primary School in Boda upazila of Panchagarh,  have been cut down without permission from the authorities concerned.The trees were worth around TK5 lakhs.

Locals alleged that the headteacher of the school, Mobarak Ali, and theof the school’s managing committee, Krishna Chandra Roy, sold the trees to a local wood trader Tamizuddin at Tk one lakh where the real price is Tk 5 lakh.

They added that Mobarak and  Krishna Chandra Roy did not take permission from the forest department before   selling the trees.

They informed the district education office and the upazila administration about it on Saturday, when Tamizuddin started cutting down the trees.

All 30 of the fourteen-year-old trees, mostly comprising of banyan, jackfruit and eucalyptus, were cut down.

AM Shahajahan Siddique, district primary education officer, said they received a complaint from the local about the cutting down of the trees on Saturday.

Upazila education officer Masud Hasan was instructed to investigate the matter and submit a report as soon as possible.

 “Necessary steps will be taken as per the report,” he said.

Syed Mahmud Hasan, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Boda, said the upazila education officer has been asked to seize the trees that have already been cut down.

Asked about it, Krishna Chandra Roy, president of the school managing committee, said they had consulted the local union parishad chairman before selling off the trees.

Moydandighi UP chairman Abdul Jobbar said, “I advised them to cut down the trees by following the proper and legal procedure.”  

Locals urged the  authorities concerned to take immediate actions against Mobarak and  Krishna Chandra for illegally cutting down the trees. 

They added the trees added beauty to the school complex and provided shadow to the students.