The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) saw a massive depletion of forest resources
in the past few years following illegal trafficking in timber by a section
of unscrupulous traders, sources said.
According to reports, over four lakh CFT timber is extracted from CHT a year
that poses a threat to environment as well as natural resources.
With the illegal extraction of timber continuing unabated, most of the eight
reserve forests in CHT have been facing extinction. Over 70 per cent of the
six reserve forests had already been depleted.
The most affected forest areas include Matamuhuri, Sangu, Kachalong, Maini,
Thega, Rainongkhong, Meroon Khedachhari and Sindhukchhari. Many hills also
have been stripped of green foliage.
In addition, jhum cultivation by the tribal people contributed significantly
to the depletion of greenery.
As varieties of costly wood are available here and the timber is in great
demand, the furniture business is booming in the CHT. Consignments of
furniture are supplied to different parts of the country.
Sources said the unscrupulous traders are extracting and trafficking in
timber in collusion with a section of forest officials and law enforcing
agency personnel. To stop such activities, the government imposed a ban on
'jote' permit a
month ago. But the traffickers are carrying out their activities as usual,
for they are backed by the ruling partymen, sources said.
On March 22, army men intercepted 15 trucks loaded with timber at Guimara
hilly area of Khagrachhari and seized about 5,000 CFT timber. Following the
seizure, some ruling partymen started lobbying and put pressure to recover
the timber, sources said.
After this incident, traffickers have stopped using the Guimara route for
transporting timber. Instead, they are using other routes for the same
purpose.
Illegal extraction of timber had taken place in large scale after the
signing of peace treaty in 1997 as the woodcutters got the opportunity to
enter most of the inaccessible areas of deep forests in the CHT. Earlier,
they avoided the deep forest areas fearing attacks by Shantibahinimen.
Many woodcutters were either killed or abducted by Shantibahinimen during
the two decade-long insurgency that rocked the scenic and rugged hill
districts.