Illegal hill cutting goes unabated in Bandarban

Hill cutting continues unabated in Bandarban violating environmental laws as the authorities say they can't stop the illegal activity due to “pressure from some political quarters”. 

Such activity is taking place in the name of constructing roads, houses, school buildings, brick kilns and setting up businesses.

Sangu High School in Bandarban Sadar upazila is at risk of landslides as a contractor has been illegally cutting the hill next to the school for around a month. A landslide from the hill on June 12 dumped large chunks of earth on the school building.

Headmaster Iman Ali said the school of 500 students was under serious threat from landslides.

Kamal Pasha, contractor of the hill cutting project, claimed he took permission from the local MP for cutting the hill.

Also the president of the school managing committee, Kamal said he was planning to build a “retaining wall to protect the school” from landslides.

These recently taken photos show unabated hill cutting going on in Kalaghat areas of Bandarban Sadar upazila. Photo: Sanjoy Kumar Barua

Alek Hossain, engineer of Education Engineering Department in Bandarban, said the project cost for a new school building was estimated at Tk 62 lakh. He said the under-construction building was also at risk of landslides.

Visiting different areas in the district recently, this correspondent found that hills were being razed in Kalaghata, Bir Bahadur Nagar, Lamu Jiri, Islampur, Langipara, Faitong, Bogachhari, Haidernashi, Yangcha, Jarullachhari, Sonaichhari, Dochhari, Kurikhong, Kagajikola and Baishpari areas.

Green activists said at least 60,000 people were at risk of landslides in rainy season due to illegal hill cutting.

There were allegations that some local influential people connived with a section of government officials to cut the hills.

Talking to The Daily Star, State Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Bir Bahadur U Shwe Sing MP said: “I didn't give permission to anyone to cut hills. Nobody can do it without permission from the Department of Environment.”

According to locals and environmentalists, plundering of hills posed a serious threat to homes and environment.

Dilip Kumar Banik, deputy commissioner of Bandarban, said a section of politicians and opportunist businessmen joined hands to destroy the hills.

He said the district administration could not check the illegal activity due to “pressure from some political quarters”.

Officials said though a committee was formed in 2014 by the district administration to conduct a survey on making a list of people vulnerable to landslides, it has been inactive for long.

Zumlian Amlai, Bandarban chairperson of the Parbatya Chattagram Forest and Land Rights Protection Movement, said hills were being destroyed indiscriminately putting threat to biodiversity of the district.

Around 30 percent of the Bandarban hills were totally destroyed, he added.