Seized sand sale in Cox’s bazar: Forest department locks horns with Pekua UNO
Despite repeated notices from the Forest Department, the upazila administration of Pekua upazila in Cox's Bazar is reportedly going ahead with its plan to sell seized sand, which was illegally extracted from a reserve forest.
Saiful Islam, upazila nirbahi officer of Pekua upazila, reportedly wants to auction off around 4,00,000 cubic feet of sand from Harbang reserve forest under Barbakia Forest Office in Chattogram South Forest division that was seized from sand lifters in May 2023.
A case was also filed against the sand lifters in this connection.
We asked UNO Saiful several times not to sell the sand, but he told us that he can sell the sand using his magistracy power.
Habibul Hoque, ranger of Barbakia Forest Office, told The Daily Star, "We asked UNO Saiful several times not to sell the sand, but he told us that he can sell the sand using his magistracy power."
Any forest property seized by any government department has to be handed over to the concerned forest officer for taking legal action under the existing Forest Act, the ranger also said.
The Forest Department has already sent a letter to the UNO of Pekua for not selling the sand without obtaining permission from the concerned ministry, he added.
Asked why the Forest Department does not want to sell the sand, Habibul Hoque said illegal sand lifters would eventually buy the sand from auction and enter the forest to transport it.
This will provide them with an opportunity to identify forest resources that they will try to extract in the future, he also said.
This correspondent could not reach UNO Saiful Islam over the phone, despite several attempts.
The Daily Star has obtained a call record between the UNO and the forest ranger, where the UNO claimed, "We seized the sand. We can auction any illegal material using magistracy power."
"The UNO wants to sell the seized sand, violating the Forest Act. We sent a letter to the Deputy Commissioner of Cox's Bazar to take steps in this regard," said Abdullah Al Mamun, divisional forest officer of Chattogram South Forest Department.
"This seized sand is a part of the forest, and we are trying to return it to the forest from where it was lifted illegally. To earn some revenues, we cannot allow access to the forest to its destroyers," the DFO added.
Contacted, Mohammed Shaheen Imran, DC of Cox's Bazar, said, "We will not auction off the sand if Forest Department objects to it."
Mohammed Sajjadul Islam, a local environmental activist, said, "Those who extracted the sand are part of an organised syndicate that has been destroying the forest for a long time. They will be the buyers if the upazila administration auctions off the seized sand."
He urged the authorities concerned to return the sand to the forest.