Jahangirnagar University (JU) has been closed since May 30 on the occasion of summer vacation and holy Eid-ul-Adha. Most of the students have already left residential halls and the campus for this long vacation. But the festival of indiscriminate tree cutting has been started in the void campus. The concerned administration started clearing the previously allotted forest area for the construction of the extension of the new arts building and fine arts faculty of the university on Sunday morning.
Ignoring the long-standing movement and opinions of the students and other stakeholders, the students staged a human chain and protest march, calling the university’s life-destroying steps abhorrent.
It can be seen from the surface, the teachers and students of the art department gathered in the extension part of Al-Beruni Hall of the university since morning for the construction of the art faculty building. Although the work was stopped in the face of agitation for a long time, around two hundred trees were cut with excavators in the presence of teachers and students.
At the same time, two hundred more trees were cut down undexterously for the construction of the extension building of new arts faculty next to the new registrar building, ignoring the views of the stakeholders.
In addition, the university officials fear that more than five hundred trees will be cut off. Teachers and students of the university fear that the lake, which is known as a sanctuary for migratory birds, will pose a threat to the ecology of the university.
Meanwhile, the students staged a human chain and protest march throughout the day to protest against the massive deforestation.
Muktarul Islam Orko, vice-president of the student union said, ‘The temperature has increased in Dhaka as a result of undisguised deforestation. It is important to formulate a master plan so that this problem does not occur in Jahangirnagar University. But instead of concoction of a master plan, every time the authorities of the university takes part in the festival of cutting trees in the closed campus.
Arif Sohel, a student of the Department of International Relations, said that the construction of buildings cannot be accepted without the preparation of a master-plan. They are cutting trees undismayedly for their own gain. After the human chain, the students brought out a protestrally. The procession took a stand in front of the Vice-Chancellor’s residence. Meanwhile, the students strongly demanded to prepare the master-plan at the earliest.At that time, the Vice-Chancellor came and spoke to the students. However, the Vice-Chancellor did not agree to give any statement regarding the preparation of the master-plan.
In this regard, project director and associate professor of department of Fine Arts M.M. Maizuddin said, ‘We are constructing the building in the place designated by the university syndicate. We are not doing anything harmful to the environment. Besides, we will take care ourselves by planting trees at the same place where the trees have been cut down. Later, we will take the recommendations of all stakeholders and form a team with them to monitor our progress.
Dean of Arts Faculty, Professor Mozammel Haque said, ‘We’ve started the construction work of the building at the designated place. Later, this issue will be coordinated with the master-plan.
