From deforestation to restoration: How the government reversed Cox’s Bazar land grabs

Tosaddek Hossain, an officer of the Bangladesh Forest Department's Khuniya Palong Beat, pointed to a large barren patch in the reserved forest area of Jungle Khuniya Palong, located in Ramu upazila, Cox's Bazar. 

"The trees that were cut down were each around 20 to 25 years old. Can anyone tell me why such a thing would be done?" he asked, his voice heavy with regret and disbelief. 

It was here that, during the tenure of the previous government, 156 acres of forestland were allocated to establish the ATM Jafar Alam Cadet College. The area, once filled with towering trees and dense greenery, now stands treeless. Every tree was cut down and the forest wiped out — all in the name of development.

But that was not all. Right next to this site, 20 acres of forestland were handed over to the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) for the construction of a FIFA Technical Centre — a so-called "Centre of Excellence". FIFA had pledged Tk30 crore in funding to build a state-of-the-art training facility for footballers.

In yet another case, perhaps the most egregious of all, the Ministry of Public Administration was given 700 acres of land from the Himchari National Park — a protected forest in Cox's Bazar — to set up an administration academy. The allocation, made in 2021, shocked environmentalists. 

The Alumni Association of the Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences at Chittagong University publicly expressed alarm then, warning that the decision would disrupt the ecological balance. 

Yet despite widespread criticism, the then government moved ahead, showing once again how easily environmental rules can be bent in favour of bureaucratic ambitions.

All of these allocations were made during the tenure of the now-ousted Awami League government — each involving dubious manoeuvres, misuse of authority, and a blatant disregard for environmental conservation. It was, in short, a systematic assault on nature under the guise of national progress.

One might argue that establishing a cadet college, a technical centre, or a training academy serves a national purpose, that such institutions produce skilled professionals for the country. That may be true. But destroying forests and biodiversity to do so is an indefensible act. 

Recognising that, the interim government's environment ministry has since cancelled all the previous allocations. The forest department has regained control of the land, and in the cleared areas, fresh plantation drives have begun in an attempt to restore what was lost.

How the law was twisted to grab forestland

The 700 acres allocated for the Public Administration Academy had been declared a protected forest as far back as 1935, under Section 29 of the Forest Act of 1927. 

In 1999, Jhilongja union, located along the Cox's Bazar–Teknaf Marine Drive, was declared an environmentally critical area, where felling trees or altering the landscape was strictly prohibited. The 700-acre site lies squarely within that zone. To mitigate climate change effects, the AL government itself conducted afforestation programmes there in 2011–12 and 2012–13.

The area is home to species like garjan, chapalish, and telsur trees, as well as elephants, monkeys, and wild boars. 

According to the Environmental Conservation Act, constructing any infrastructure in such ecologically critical forestland is strictly forbidden. Moreover, only the forest department holds legal authority to lease or allocate forestland. 

Yet, in complete violation of this, the Ministry of Public Administration obtained the land from the Ministry of Land, which falsely recorded it as "non-agricultural khas land".

Following a request from Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, the allocation was finally cancelled after the interim government took charge. 

The forest department also filed a case, arguing that the official record had conveniently omitted the fact that it was a protected forest. Simultaneously, a writ petition was filed in the High Court seeking cancellation of the settlement. The High Court imposed a stay order, which the Appellate Division later upheld.

Nurul Islam, Divisional Forest Officer of the Cox's Bazar South Forest Division, expressed relief after the land was recovered. 

"This area is not only important for Cox's Bazar but for the entire country. If the project had gone ahead, it would have gravely damaged the ecological balance. Many rare species of trees and wildlife live here. We are now replanting over an even wider area. In consultation with the Ministry of Environment, we'll do everything possible to protect this land," he said.

Reforestation and reckoning after political misuse

The allocations for the Jafar Alam Cadet College and the BFF Technical Centre were no less tainted by irregularities. 

According to the Cox's Bazar District Administration, in 2016, 155.70 acres of land in Khuniya Palong mouza of Ramu upazila were leased long-term to the Shaheed ATM Jafar Alam Cadet College. 

The total value of the land was assessed at Tk7,707,150; yet the lease was granted for only Tk770,715 — a tenth of its value. Later, the name was quietly changed to Shaheed ATM Jafar Alam Multidisciplinary Academy — another convenient rebranding.

Forest Department sources confirmed that the Ministry of Land had wrongly described this biodiversity-rich area as "non-agricultural khas land" in its allocation documents, even though the area was gazetted as a reserved forest. 

The department had officially objected, writing to the relevant ministries, but the then Awami League government ignored the warnings and went ahead anyway. After the interim government took office, the environment ministry on 21 August requested that the lease be cancelled. In response, the land ministry formally annulled the settlement.

Tosaddek Hossain, the Khuniya Palong Beat Officer, said, "That land, rich in biodiversity, is a crucial habitat for wildlife, especially a herd of critically endangered Asian elephants that regularly roam there. Protecting this forestland is essential for conserving both wildlife and the ecosystem." 

After the land allocation was revoked, the Forest Department launched a large-scale reforestation campaign. So far, 162,000 saplings of various species have been planted. Tosaddek expressed hope that within five to seven years, once the trees mature, the forest will regain its former look and vitality.

One of the workers who planted the trees said, "You wouldn't believe how huge the trees once were if you hadn't seen them yourself. Everything was cut down and destroyed. Now we've planted thousands of saplings, working through scorching heat and rain. We just hope our hard work doesn't go in vain. The government must ensure this forest is protected in the future."

The land allocated to BFF, located nearby, was meant for a modern training complex boasting advanced facilities — a gymnasium, residential halls, two artificial turf grounds, and multiple grass fields. 

The total land area was 20 acres, stretching 908 feet in length and 968 feet in width — about 879,200 square feet. FIFA initially promised $3.5 million for its development, with further funding to follow in phases. After the allocation was cancelled, BFF was given an alternative 19.1-acre site in Dhalirchhara under Rashidnagar union, though the usable area is closer to 15 acres.