‘Take steps to protect hills’

Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela), Forum for Planned Chattogram, and Association for Land Reform and Development yesterday submitted a memorandum to Chattogram City Corporation mayor to take initiative to protect hills.

Bela networking member Aliur Rahman said after submitting the memorandum at the mayor's office, they demanded that the mayor take steps to stop hill cutting and take legal action against those involved in the activity.

"The mayor assured us of meeting our demands. He will start working soon to protect the hills in coordination with other government agencies in Chattogram," he added.

Meanwhile, a hill in Beltalighona of the port city's Akbar Shah area has reportedly been razed under the direction of CCC to make way for a road. A landslide occurred at the site recently, which killed one and injured three.

Earlier in January, environmentalist Syeda Rizwana Hasan was attacked by the followers of a ward councillor while she was trying to inspect a site to confirm hill cutting in Akbar Shah, according to eyewitnesses.

The mayor assured us of meeting our demands. He will start working soon to protect the hills in coordination with other government agencies in Chattogram.

— Aliur Rahman Bela networking member

After the incident, Rizwana sued the councillor.

She alleged, "The government agencies of Chattogram -- including Chattogram City Corporation, District Administration, and the Department of Environment -- are ignoring court orders on hill protection."

"The court had ordered in 2012 to take appropriate steps to protect the hills of Chattogram region. Then another order was given to protect the hills of the port city's Akbar Shah area in 2015. But both the orders are being ignored…," she said.

Rizwana was addressing a discussion on hill cutting at a city hotel yesterday.

The government agencies should take strict actions against those who are destroying the hills with political identity, she added.

Aliur Rahman, general secretary of Bangladesh Environment Forum, stressed the need for implementing the existing laws to save the hills.

A total of 120 hills out of 200 disappeared from Chattogram city in the last four decades, said Prof Khaled Misbahuzzaman of the forestry institute at Chittagong University.

Meanwhile, some environmental organisations yesterday staged a protest at Chattogram Press Club, demanding justice for a wildlife conservationist, Mahfuj Russel, who was allegedly attacked by miscreants in Matiranga, Khagrachhari.

Activists of nearly 10 green organisations condemned the attack at the protest.