According to the settlement survey conducted in 1972-75, the total land in protected forest is around 66,000 acres in Dhaka and Gazipur districts but the forest department has authority on only 670 acres.

Of the 66,000 acres, some 64,000 acres are in Gazipur and the rest in Dhaka. Over the last 50 years, land grabbers encroached upon more than 12,000 acres, particularly in Bhawal area of Gazipur, official sources said

Different real estate companies, private firms and influential people have recently stepped up their illegal bid to occupy more forest land and other 'khas' (government-owned) land through fake documents, forged signatures and secret deals with local administration.

The sources mentioned that land grabbers are even getting court verdicts in their favour 'secretly' by showing fake documents and 'forged no-objection letters' from the forest department. In most cases, they manage to get court verdict without the knowledge of the forest department.

The Ministry of Environment and Forest has recently identified plunder of its 120 acres of forest land in Gazipur and initiated a legal process at the Supreme Court to recover the land as lower court verdicts went in favour of the encroachers.

Of the 120 acres, two real estate firms grabbed 30 acres in Shibrampur mouja in Sadar upazila of Gazipur district, and another 90 acres in Araishaw Proshad mouja in Joydevpur upazila of the district.

Environment and Forest Minister Tariqul Islam confirmed the forest department's ownership of the land and filing of cases in the highest court for its recovery.

"We have taken an initiative to gradually recover forest land from illegal occupation," Tariqul added.

According to official records, one Nayeb Ali Munshi had grabbed 30 acres of forestland in Shibrampur and got a decree in his favour from a court in Dhaka in 1994 'secretly' without the knowledge of the forest department.

He had allegedly submitted fake documents and forged 'no-objection certificate' with the signature of the divisional forest officer of Dhaka. The case is now awaiting disposal in a lower court.

In 2002, Nayeb Ali gave power of attorney to Zahid Malek, proprietor of Rahat Real Estate, who also received an order in favour of him from Gazipur district administration.

Zahid is the son of the then Dhaka mayor and minister Abdul Malek of Ershad regime.

The forest department then filed a case with a court in Gazipur and got an injunction on the land but it was vacated upon an appeal from Zahid. The department then took up the matter with the divisional commissioner of Dhaka. Meanwhile, the High Court (HC) issued an interim injunction on the department on December 13 last year and ordered the two sides to resolve the case in a lower court.

Officials said the real estate firm ignored the HC order, cut down all trees and is now preparing residential plots there for sale.

The forest department is now going to take the matter to the Supreme Court.

Moreover, one Dr Abdur Rahman got a court order in his favour by submitting forged documents to occupy 90 acres of forest land in Araishaw Proshad mouja.

The forest department said the land was declared 'protected forest land' in a gazette notification in 1955.

Officials said the Bhawal Court of Wards Estate in its certificate categorically stated that it did not lease out the land to Dr Abdur Rahman but an HC verdict in 1998

went against the forest department.

The department then filed a civil petition with the Supreme Court, and hearing of it is due on February 6.

Rahman has meanwhile felled the trees on the land, built a boundary wall and started real estate business there, forest officials said.