Policymakers, officials concerned of the government and experts on environment are making pledges to preserve forests across the country through taking steps against the grabbers of forest land.
They said that many grabbers encroached land in forests, including reserved forests and hilly areas, across the country. “We all have to protect the forest land. We have to forge strong resistance against the encroachers to prevent forest encroachment. Everyone has to take an oath to protect the forest,”
Dr Farhina Ahmed, secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said at a discussion meeting.
The Forest Department arranged a discussion at Bon Bhaban at Agargaon in the capital Tuesday (March 21) on the occasion of the International Day of Forests-2023.
Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Begum HabibunNahar, MP, attended the event as the chief guest with Chief Conservator of Forests of the Forest Department Md. Amir Hossain Chowdhury in the chair.
Member of the Standing Committee on the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Advocate KhodezaNasrin Akhter Hossain, Additional Secretary of the ministry Iqbal Abdullah Harun, Pro-Vice Chancellor of Independent University Prof DrNiaz Ahmed Khan, former Director at IUCN Asia Region, Dr. Mohammad Zakir Hossain, and Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests at Social Forestry Wing Md. Moinuddin Khan also spoke on the occasion, among others.
Chairman of Aranyak Foundation and professor of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) Dr AZM Manzur Rashid and Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests of the Forest Department MdJahidulKabirpresented keynote speech at the event.
In her speech, Begum HabibunNahar said, “March is the month of independence. In this month, we all have to take a firm oath to protect the country’s forests.”
She said that the Forest Department has created many new forests under the direction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Allong with the government, people will also have to plant trees in fallow land.
The deputy minister directed the officials of Forest Department to keep a vigilant eye on the protection of the forest.
In her speech as special guest, DrFarhina Ahmed said that maximum efforts will be made to protect the forest for the sake of healthy survival of all.
She said that the contribution of trees in preventing climate change is immense. “Realizing the importance of forests in protecting health, we all have to plant trees and protect the forest land,” she added.
It is to be noted that cheques worth Tk 31 lakh 57 thousand were distributed among the male and female beneficiaries of social forestry on the occasion.