Shipping adviser orders forming probe committee over allegations of hill cutting in Khagrachhari

The government has ordered the formation of a three-member investigation committee following allegations of indiscriminate hill cutting and environmental damage during land-filling activities for the Ramgarh land port in Khagrachhari.

The directive came after a report published in the daily Amar Desh drew attention to claims that hills were being cut to fill land for the project, causing environmental degradation. Shipping Adviser and Adviser to the Ministry of Labour and Employment Brigadier General (retd) Dr M Sakhawat Hossain said the matter was taken with "utmost seriousness" once it came to his notice.

To verify the allegations and identify those responsible, the adviser ordered a three-member probe committee, asking it to submit a field investigation report within three working days.

"The government gives the highest priority to issues related to the country's environment, ecological balance, and national interest," Dr Sakhawat said. "If hill cutting or illegal land filling has taken place, it will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Those truly responsible will be identified and brought under legal action."

He said the Ramgarh land port, built under the previous government, had already been reviewed for its geo-economic importance, with an expert committee reassessing its costs and benefits.