At a press conference at the ministry auditorium, Tariqul also criticised TIB for not contacting the authorities for their versions regarding the accusation.

The TIB report launched on July 5 said Department of Forest had misappropriated Tk 67.25 crore last financial year. The report was based on 84 articles from 26 national dailies.

"How could we embezzle the amount mentioned in the TIB report when we had spent only Tk 46 crore in last year," the minister questioned.

"They wrote about misappropriation of funds but did not say how, when, and who did it. They did not even bother to have our versions," Tariqul said.

State Minister for Environment and Forest Jafrul Islam Chowdhury, Secretary Zafar Ahmed Chowdhury, and Research Director of TIB SI Lasker were present at the press conference.

"I admit there is some corruption at the forest department but the authorities are trying their best to contain that. I never compromise with corruption," said the minister.

Tariqul quoted statistics saying that he has dismissed two forest conservationists, suspended five assistant conservationists, eight forest rangers, three divisional forest officers, seven deputy rangers and 28 foresters on charges of corruption.

The department has also filed departmental cases against 518 officials accused of corruption, he added.

Replying to a query, he said so far, the ministry has sold wood worth Tk 67 crore. Those trees were seized after they had been felled illegally.

"We know there are some cases of illegal logging in different forest areas. But the practice is nothing new, it has been there since the pre-historic era," the minister observed.

Comparing the department's revenue collection during his stint with that in the previous government, he said, "The past government earned only Tk 265 crore while as of last May, the department has generated Tk 456 crore in revenues."

He also claimed that he has recovered nearly 35,000 acres of forestland [from the grabbers] which is worth not less than Tk 500 crore.

"When we are carrying out such drives, the TIB report not only discourages us but also raises question whose purposes they are in fact serving," the minister said.

He criticised the method of TIB corruption report, which is usually based on the newspaper reports.

He declined to say anything when asked what sort of method a non-government organisation should use to find out corruption within government organs.