Opposition Leader and Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader MP has expressed anger over the Forest Department's decision to cut 4 lakh trees in the name of Teesta irrigation project development.
In a statement on Sunday (May 12), he also demanded to stop cutting trees and reforest.
The statement said that the country is now becoming uninhabitable due to climate change. In such a reality, the decision to cut trees is suicidal and unforgivable. According to media reports, the forest department is cutting 4 lakh trees in the name of renovation and expansion of tertiary and secondary canals including the main canal of the Teesta irrigation project.
At least 20 trees have already been cut in Chander Hat Bahalipara area of Nilphamari Sadar of Canal in Dinajpur. Even though the trees were cut down in the area, no reforestation was done. Due to its adverse effects, most of the Teesta is going to become desert. Again, 50 percent trees have already been cut in the project area of Nilphamari Sadar and Dimla Upazila.
It is normal practice to consider environmental protection issues in project formulation and implementation. However, it is difficult to understand why the destruction of such a large number of trees became inevitable in the implementation of the project. According to critics, it is necessary to investigate whether the purpose of taking such a project is to gain more profit by cutting and selling extra trees to earn money through corruption during the implementation of the project.
Due to the lack of trees, the natural environment of the country has deteriorated. So the decision to cut trees should be withdrawn. He advised the concerned to look into whose interest suicidal decisions are being taken against the country and the environment.