The Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park project, which was taken on political consideration during the Awami League government, has been cancelled.
The decision was taken at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Monday (23).
The ECNEC meeting held in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital was presided over by Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the interim government’s chief adviser and ECNEC chairperson. The decision to cancel the project was taken at the meeting. The relevant department of the Planning Commission has proposed to cancel the project, which was approved before the meeting.
It is learned that the Awami League government had decided to build ‘Bangabandhu Safari Park’ on 5,631 acres of land in the Lathitila forest, a reserved forest in Moulvibazar. The project proposed by the Environment Ministry was approved by ECNEC in November last year.
The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has recommended the cancellation of the project considering the threat to biodiversity. Despite objections, the Sheikh Hasina government approved the project. After the political situation changed, the Planning Commission decided to cancel the approved project on the recommendation of the concerned ministry. In view of this, a proposal to cancel the project to establish the country's third safari park was raised at the ECNEC meeting.