The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our correspondent, Barisal

Tensions have been created and mounting every in different places of Mehendiganj and Sadar upazilas of Barisal after Proshika, a major non-government organization, attempted to cut trees in the name of re-plantation under social forestation project.

Agitated local residents of different villages under Mehendiganj and different villages under Charmomani union of Sadar upazilas of Barisal districts alleged that official of Proshika marked and numbered hundreds of ten years old trees and attempting to sale those in auction.

These trees were private properties and not planted by Proshika under social forestation project, the residents claimed.

Enamul Huq, divisional forest officer of Barisal, Abdur Rashid, conservator of forest in coastal circle, said that after receiving the allegations from villagers they duly informed local upazila nirbahi officers and deputy commissioner requesting to take necessary action for prevention of plantations and trees under forest and environment acts.

UNOs of Mehendiganj and Sadar upazilas of Barisal said they heard about the allegations and investigating the matters.

Local officials of Proshika denying disclosing their names claimed that the marked trees were planted by Proshika and their associate non government organizations under a social forestation project of World Food Program in 1996-97.

It was the term of that project that planted trees would the cut down and re-plantation would be made to replace those after ten years, they claimed.

On other hand villagers denying the ownership claims of Proshika over the marked and numbered trees said that those trees were planted, nourished and maintained by them and not by Proshika and so those are private properties.

Proshika officials also denying these claims said that trees planted under social forestation program were done on government lands under project contact and there may be a few incidents of wrong numberings and markings of privately planted trees.