No step yet to stop tobacco cultivation in Bandarban
Monirul Islam Monu, Bandarban
Despite restriction, tobacco is being cultivated illegally on about 300 acres of land in Matamuhuri reserve forest in Bandarban district, allegedly in connivance with some dishonest forest officials. Officials of Lama forest division are yet to take any action to stop the illegal practice and protect government property as well as environment. Some officials of the forest division maintains links with the illegal tobacco cultivators, locals alleged. During a recent visit to the area, this correspondent saw green tobacco fields on government forestlands only about 200 meters from the Matamuhuri Forest Range Office in Alikadam upazila. Three indigenous 'burners' were also seen, where huge quantities of firewood from the reserve forest are used to process tobacco. An old tobacco cultivator there seeking anonymity said he cultivated tobacco on seven acres of reserve forestland. He paid Tk 19,200 to forest officials for this. "Each cultivator has to pay Tk 3000 per acre for tobacco cultivation in a season", he added. This correspondent tried to contact officials of Matamuhuri Forest Range but none agreed to talk. Forestlands on both sides of Chiriga-Lama and Yangsa-Alikoadam roads in Alikadam and Lama upazilas are now covered with lush green tobacco. Locals said this area was once famous for cultivating vegetables and other cash corps. Tobacco cultivation started after 1990 following assistance by some Bangladesh and multinational tobacco companies, they said. According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), there are 35042 acres of cultivatable land in Alikadam and Lama upazilas. Of this, 15030 acres have been used for cultivating tobacco this year. Locals also alleged that the forest office not only creates opportunity for cultivating harmful tobacco by destroying reserved forest but also allow cultivators to pilfer valuable timber trees for use as fuel to process tobacco in exchange of money. According to sources in a tobacco company, 11 tonnes of fire wood are needed to process tobacco leaves grown on two acres. He estimated that 82500 tonnes of timber are destroyed each season only in Alikadam and Lama for processing tobacco. To compensate the loss of forests, a multinational company has taken a project to plant saplings on roadsides in Alikadam and Lama. This is a mere eyewash. Other companies purchasing tobacco from farmers have done nothing, locals said.
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