Eco Park project to go ahead keeping indigenous people's interest
Forest and environment advisor tells meeting at Modhupur
Our Correspondent, Tangail
Forest and Environment Adviser to the caretaker government Dr Chowdhury Sazzadul Karim has advised Tangail district administration and forest officials to implement the Modhupur National Park Development Project after ensuring interests and rights of local indigenous people. The project is commonly called Madhupur Eco Park project.He was exchanging views with high officials of the district and upazila administrations, forest department and local indigenous leaders over the Eco Park project and construction of the forest department's 'controversial' boundary wall. The meeting was Friday at Modhupur upazila parishad auditorium. The advisor also emphasised recovery of grabbed forestlands in Madhupur Reserve Forest and monitoring activities of some sawmills adjacent the forest. Other speakers at the meeting pointed out merits and demerits of the Eco Park project and construction of the controversial boundary wall in the forest, meeting sources told this correspondent. Chief Forest Conserver Mohammad Osman Gani, Assistant Forest Conserver Ali Kabir Haidar, Tangail Deputy Commissioner Akhtar Ali Sarkar, Tangail Superindent of Police SK Mohammad Maruf Hossain, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) in Tangail Abdullah-al-Mamun, Madhupur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Dr MA Parvez Rahim, Major Toufique from joint forces spoke at the meeting. Local indigenous leaders Ajoy-e-Mre, president of the Joinshahi Adibhasi Unnayon Parishad, its secretary Gint Cent Chichhin and coordinator Ugin Nokrake, and their religious leader Father Subrato Torent Chinu also spoke at the meeting. Later, the adviser along with the officials visited the Madhupur National Park development activities including the site of controversial boundary wall at Dhokhala in the upazila and talked to locals. At the meeting, a 11-member committee headed by Madhupur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Dr MA Parvez Rahim was formed to protect indigenous people's interest and implement the project. It also includes indigenous leaders, sources said. The forest department took up the Forest Conservation and Eco Project in 2000. It covers 3, 000 acres of forests in Madhupur. Indigenous people in Madhupur opposed the plan and launched agitation against it when the forest department began construction of the boundary wall in 2004. Work on construction of the boundary wall was stopped in face of agitation. After declaration of the state of emergency, the forest department, without any discussion with local indigenous people, gave work order to contractors in seven groups for constructing a 22,200 feet boundary wall. Indigenous leaders held a secret meeting at Sadhupara in Madhupur recently. After the meeting, they faxed a petition to the Chief Advisor of the caretaker to stop the boundary wall construction work, sources said.
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