Despite HC ban, shipbreaking yard ravages Sitakunda reserve forest

Kohinoor Steel is building a shipbreaking yard spanning five acres of land in Chattogram's Sitakunda reserve forest, which has been leased out by the Chattogram district administration despite a top court order.  

The land has already been fenced out after felling thousands of trees, and now a two-storied building is being built on the seashore. The High Court three years ago cancelled the leasing out of the land to a steel-maker, but the jungle lost to industrial interest this time.  

During a visit to the area on Wednesday last week, it was found that Kohinoor steel men were guarding the entire area fenced with barbed wire at north Salimpur of Sitakunda. 

Two roads have already been constructed to enter the under-construction yard from the coastal embankment. Mangrove trees have also been felled for the roads. On both sides of the yard, there were "Keora" trees except for the construction site.  

Chattogram district administration in February last year leased out the land at north Salimpur and Tulatli mauza of Sitakunda to Kohinoor Akhtar – the owner of the steel-maker.

The same land was allotted to BBC Steel, owned by Kohinoor's husband Abul Kashem, three years ago. But the High Court in 2020 cancelled it by announcing the leasing out of forest land illegal.   

In a case filed by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) against the leasing, the court then directed the government to protect all the reserve forest land in the country for any use other than forestation.

Defiance, disputes

Despite the land falling into a 150-acre coastal Keora forest of the Forest Department, the Department of Environment in August last year issued clearance to Kohinoor Steel.    

Subsequently, the Forest Department asked the environment department to scrap the certification, citing the High Court ban. According to the Forest Department, the yard will cause severe damage to biodiversity and environment in that area. 

Before asking for the environmental clearance cancellation, the Forest Department requested the district administration to revoke the lease agreement in October last year.

The land given to Kohinoor Steel is exactly the same land leased out to BBC Steel three years ago, The Forest Department wrote to the district admin. 

Regarding the disputes over the forest land, a meeting between the Forest Department and the district admin took place on 23 October last year. But both sides were adamant in their positions, according to officials who took part in the meeting.  

Md Abdur Rahman, divisional forest officer of Chattogram Coastal Forest Division, said they filed two cases against Kohinoor Steel last year on charges of the Forest Department's land encroachment and tree felling.

Besides, a letter has been sent to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change informing them about the matter.

However, Ferdous Anwar, deputy director of the Department of Environment  Chattogram District Office, claimed environmental clearance was issued to Kohinoor following the due legal process.

"We have received a letter from the Forest Department, which mentions the area is in a reserve forest and has a High Court ban on commercial use," he told The Business Standard.

Kohinoor Steel officials said the yard is being built after taking all the required approvals. After the construction, trees will be planted in the empty space.

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of Bela, told The Business Standard that the land in the reserve forest has been allotted illegally by defying the court order.

"The allotment is akin to contempt of court," she commented.

The environmental lawyers association in November last year filed a petition with the High Court over the allotment. A hearing of it is slated for Sunday.