The Gazipur Environment Movement (GAPA) and the Public Interest Development Trust have jointly called for stronger measures to protect the forests and environment of Gazipur, free forestland from illegal occupation, control forest crimes and bring forest department services closer to local residents.
The organisations made the demands at a press conference held at Shayla Community Centre on Shaheed Niamat Road in Joydebpur at 11am on Tuesday.
At the press conference, the organisers presented five demands to the relevant authorities for protecting Gazipur’s forests and environment.
They said Gazipur is one of Bangladesh’s important forest-rich districts. Its forests are vital not only for maintaining the local ecological balance but also for protecting biodiversity, the climate, public health and the broader environment.
However, the forests and environment of Gazipur are increasingly under threat due to illegal occupation of forestland, unauthorised structures, deforestation and various forms of forest crime.
The organisers said forest protection cannot be ensured through laws and policies alone. They called for an effective administrative structure, regular field-level monitoring, swift enforcement of the law and easier access to government services for local people.
Demand for separate Gazipur Forest Division
The organisers said the offices of the Divisional Forest Officer of the Dhaka Forest Division and the Divisional Forest Officer of the Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Dhaka Division are located in Mohakhali, Dhaka, although the entire jurisdiction of both divisions lies within Gazipur district.
As a result, people seeking various administrative services related to forests and the environment in Gazipur have to travel to Dhaka to communicate with the divisional forest officers’ offices.
They said this causes unnecessary inconvenience and increases the time, expense and effort required for local residents, people living near forests, landowners, organisations and other service seekers.
The organisers clarified that the future structure of the Dhaka Forest Division is not part of their demand. Their main demand is the establishment of a separate “Gazipur Forest Division” for the district’s forests and forest administration.
They said a separate forest division would allow people to receive divisional-level administrative services from Gazipur itself. It would also make forest conservation, prevention and recovery of occupied forestland, control of forest crimes, field-level monitoring and coordination between the forest department and local communities more effective.
The organisations’ five demands are:
1.Establish the Gazipur Forest Division: The proposed activities for establishing a separate Gazipur Forest Division should be implemented quickly after obtaining the necessary approval. Forest administration should be centred in Gazipur so that divisional-level services become easily accessible to local residents.
2.Give magistracy powers to forest officers: Modern laws should be enacted to grant magistracy powers to forest cadre officials, allowing them to take swift legal action at the field level instead of going through lengthy administrative procedures after forest crimes occur.
3. Adopt a zero-tolerance policy against illegal occupation: A zero-tolerance policy should be adopted to recover illegally occupied forestland. Effective action must be taken against illegal occupiers, while permanent measures should be introduced to prevent recovered forestland from being occupied again.
4. Withdraw harassment cases through due process: Cases filed against people without proper grounds should be withdrawn following appropriate investigation and legal procedures. At the same time, strict legal action should be taken against genuine forest offenders while ensuring that innocent people are not harassed.
5. Take legal action against all forest offenders: Legal action must be taken against all government and private individuals and organisations involved in forest crimes. The law should be applied equally regardless of an individual’s or organisation’s identity, influence or position.
Speakers at the press conference included GAPA President Md Mosaddikur Rahman; GAPA General Secretary and Public Interest Development Trust Managing Trustee Md Mehedi Hasan; GAPA chief adviser Frederick Mukul Biswas; GAPA Executive Vice-President Enamul Haque; GAPA Vice-President Md Ismail Molla; and GAPA Office Secretary Rafiqul Islam Rubel.
