A senior army officer with the rank and status of a lieutenant colonel or major will lead each taskforce, said an official announcement.

The taskforces will initially operate in Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna and Sylhet, Environment Minister Tariqul Islam told The Daily Star. The number of the task forces will be gradually increased, he added.

A task force also has an officer each from Bangladesh Navy, Airforce and Coastguard, a representative from the deputy commissioner's office, a class one magistrate and an official from the forest department.

Ministry sources said formation of the taskforces was a must following frequent reports of timber smuggling in the forest areas. They expressed the hope that now smuggling of forest resources, especially timber, can be checked.

The official announcement says the taskforces will carry out sudden raids on railway stations, roads and highways and waterways to check illegal timber transportation and take legal action on the spot.

Tariqul said his ministry has taken all-out steps to protect the forest resources and will do everything possible to check smuggling. They have taken up a massive plan to increase the volume of forests in the country, he added.

When asked, he admitted several forest officials were suspended for their alleged involvement in timber smuggling and the ministry has started taking departmental action against them.