Environmentalists demand halt to construction of garbage station in Bhawal park, roads in reserved forests

Environmental organisations have demanded the immediate cancellation of two infrastructure projects – a secondary transfer station (STS) inside Gazipur's Bhawal National Park and road construction through reserved forests in Cox's Bazar's Moheshkhali and Chakaria.

Gathering under the banner of "Bikkhubdho Poribeshbadigon" (Agitated Environmentalists) in front of the Forest Department in Dhaka's Agargaon today (28 July), representatives from the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela), Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa), Mission Green Bangladesh, and other rights groups raised their demands.

Speakers alleged that the two projects violate existing forest and environmental laws, placing biodiversity, wildlife habitats, and critical elephant corridors at severe risk.

They cautioned that unless the practice of building infrastructure inside reserved forests and national parks in the name of development is halted, the country's remaining forests will face destruction.

The protesting environmentalists highlighted that the Bhawal National Park is a declared reserved forest under the Forest Act, 1927 and that dumping waste or constructing such installations inside national parks is strictly prohibited under the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act, 2012.

They alleged that construction work is proceeding without the mandatory environmental clearance required by the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 1995 and the Environment Conservation Rules, 2023.

Citing a 2023 study by the River and Delta Research Centre (RDRC), the campaigners noted that nearly two-thirds of forest land and water bodies in Gazipur have vanished over the last two decades.

The district's forest area plummeted from 39,943 hectares in 2000 to 16,174 hectares in 2023, they noted.

Addressing the situation in Cox's Bazar, speakers pointed out that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) study "Atlas: Elephant Routes and Corridors in Bangladesh" identified the Khutakhali-Medhakachhapia corridor as a vital elephant pathway.

Despite this, nearly 5km of an 11-km road stretching from Chakaria's Khutakhali to Eidgarh is being built through this reserved forest, they said.

Similarly, an initiative has been taken to construct a 4.8-km road through reserved hilly forests from JM Ghat in Moheshkhali's Shaplapur Union to Kalaimarchhara, they added.

The activists expressed deep concern that implementing these projects will destroy elephant corridors, escalate human-elephant conflict, and accelerate deforestation, illegal encroachment, and wildlife habitat destruction.

Bela activist Advocate Rumana Sharmin Shanta stressed that protecting forests is vital for future generations, demanding an alternative location for the Bhawal STS and the cancellation of the Chakaria road project.

Ahsan Rony, executive director of Mission Green Bangladesh, called the government's actions contradictory, noting that authorities initiate forest protection efforts on one hand while implementing damaging projects inside forests on the other.

He demanded an immediate halt to these initiatives, warning of larger protests if the demands are not met.

Bapa Joint Secretary Humayun Kabir Sumon noted that the constitution mandates the state protect forests and biodiversity, asserting that no project destroying reserved forests is acceptable.

Bela Policy Coordinator Barish Hasan Chowdhury highlighted policy inconsistency in running tree plantation drives while simultaneously building infrastructure through forests, calling for non-negotiable forest protection and eco-friendly waste management.

At the rally, environmentalists presented a four-point charter of demands, including cancelling the STS construction in Bhawal National Park in favour of an eco-friendly waste management system at an alternative site, scrapping proposed roads through Moheshkhali and Chakaria reserved forests, and ensuring strict implementation of existing environmental laws across all reserved forests, national parks, and elephant corridors.

Following the rally, representatives submitted a memorandum to Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) Md Amir Hosain Chowdhury and Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) Chief Engineer Md Belal Hossain.