Ukhiya forest official killed in 'planned attack': Police

Md Sajjaduzzaman, a beat officer at Dochhari Forest in the Ukhiya Range of Cox's Bazar South Forest Division, lost his life in a "planned attack", said the police on Tuesday (9 April).

"After his arrest, more information surfaced about those involved in hill cutting in the area. After verification, legal action will be taken," Ukhiya's Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police Mohammad Russell told a press conference at the Ukhiya Police Station at 12:30pm.

On 31 March, Md Sajjaduzzaman was crushed under a dumper truck while taking action against a group involved in illegal hill cutting within a reserved forest area.

Police on Monday (8 April) arrested the prime accused in the murder case – Md Bappi, the driver of the dumper truck – from Chattogram.

Earlier on 1 April, Md Shafiul Alam, Ukhiya range officer of the Department of Forest, filed a case over the incident naming 10 individuals and five unnamed others. 

On the same day, police arrested an accused of the case, Syed Karim, during a drive in Ukhiya.

Later on 7 April, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury said punishing the killers of forest officer Md Sazzaduzzaman would set an example for hill cutters.

In today's press conference, the police official said a group has been involved in hill cutting in Ukhiya for the past month. When Md Sajjaduzzaman conducted a raid, a week before his death, he seized 5 dumper trucks and filed several cases against some of those involved.

"After interrogation, the arrested driver said he, another accused, Kamal Uddin, and others involved in hill cutting got angry with the forest officer over this. They started calling Sajjaduzzaman on the phone and threatening to kill him," he added.

He further said, on the day of the incident, when Sajjaduzzaman and his colleague Ali Ahmad arrived at the scene on a motorcycle being tipped off about hill cutting in Ukhiya's Harinmara area, he ordered them to stop. 

But then the truck driver hit the motorcycle killing the forest official on the spot and leaving his colleague injured. The accused Kamal Uddin was sitting next to the truck driver Bappi, said the police official.