A Chattogarm based contractor was fined Tk 3 lakh for illegally flattening 24,000 square feet of hill without prior permission from the Department of Environment (DoE) at Raozan upazila of Chattogram today, after The Daily Star ran a report on hill cutting at the area.

DoE fined M/S Mazed Enterprize after a hearing at its Khulsi office of the port city.

Mohammad Moazzom Hossain, director of DoE Chattogram, told The Daily Star that the contracting firm was hired by BFIDC (Bangladesh Forest Industry Development Corporation) for constructing a 1.8 kilometer road to easily navigate to a proposed rubber garden.

The firm razed the hill along a 1.5 kilometer stretch without approval from the DoE, which is mandatory by the Environment Conservation Act of 1995. They were fined after assessing the damage to the environment, he said.

Mazed Enterprize refused to make a comment while this correspondent approached them for a comment.

The Daily Star ran a report on 31 May focusing the hill cutting at Razona upazila to construct a road.