NGO officials sued for felling trees

A case was filed against four people, including two NGO officials, on Sunday in Dhamrai upazila of Dhaka for illegally cutting down and selling 132 government trees from beside the road.

The accused are SOJAG Director Abdul Matin, 62, Manager Md Masudur Rahman Masud, 50, buyer Md Naif Ali Bepari, 30, and Sodhu Bepari, 60.

Upazila Forest Officer Md Motalib Al Momin filed the case with Dhamrai police station on Sunday.

According to the complaint, SOJAG cut down 132 trees from alongside 3km of the road from Chapila area in Sombhag union to Naogaon and 1km from Kushra union to Pothhara area without the approval of the Forest Department.

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The NGO officials did not pay any heed to Forest Department officials when they were asked to refrain from cutting the trees.

According to the upazila forest office, the trees were planted in 1990 under a World Food Programme project worth Tk9.10 lakh.

Forest Officer Md Motalib said the trees and instruments used for cutting them have been seized.

The NGO director, Abdul Matin, could not be contacted over the phone in this regard.

Dhamrai police station OC Md Atiqur Rahman said legal actions will be taken against the accused in the case.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Hossain Mohammad Hai Jaki said cutting down trees planted on government-owned land is against the law and action will be taken in this regard soon.