The New Nation - Internet Edition

Rafiqul Islam Azad

Officials of the Forest Department of Chittagong have recovered huge quantities of illegal timber worth about Tk 17 crore during their extensive one year and three months drive after 1/11 changeover.

According to sources some 6,235 vehicles used for log smuggling were also seized from both the North and South divisions during the same period.

The recovered timber has been kept at Kalurghat Forest Depot, Firingibazar Forest Depot and Foujderhat Check-Point to sell those through floating tender.

The authorities, however, admitted that they could not arrest any godfather involved in the smuggling of logs, which has become a regular phenomenon in this region. They also regretted their lack of manpower and other facilities to deal with the ever-increasing number of smugglers.

A senior forest official said timber is being smuggled particularly from the hilly forest areas by resorting to various tactics.

The smugglers transport illegal wood on trucks to different destinations in the country. The timber loaded trucks normally carry sacks of sands, poultry feed, watermelons, salt, rice on top and are covered with tarpaulin, he said.

The official said the godfathers became desperate to smuggle timber from the hilly areas since it was a very lucrative business.

He said inadequate manpower, transport crisis, fuel ration and almost non-existent perks for informers are the main reasons for the inability to carry out massive drive against the smugglers of timber.

Sources said the drives were carried out by Assistant Forest Conservator ARS Monirul Islam, Town Ranger Meer Abdul Majid, Deputy Ranger of Foujderhat CheckPoint Md Zahirul Haque under the directive of Badrul Anam Bhuiyan, Divisional Forest Officer.

Earlier, the Ministry of Forest and Environment directed the Forest Department to carry out massive anti smuggling drive across the country.