Md. Abdul Kaiyum, Moulvibazar

Just a few days away from the seasonal harvest, the ripe, juicy oranges were supposed to be picked from the trees. Cultivator Salma Begum and her family had been counting down the days, pinning their hopes on a bountiful yield and financial turnaround to bring smiles back to their household.

Instead, disaster struck. The orange orchard, cultivated on government forest land over the past eight years, had thrived thanks to regular "masohara" (bribes). However, failing to pay the protection money this time proved to be the ruin of the cultivator in the Kaliji area under the Adampur forest beat of the Rajkandi forest range in Kamalganj upazila.

According to on-the-ground reports, allegations have surfaced that the forest department cut down approximately 1,200 fruit-bearing orange trees belonging to a single family during an eviction drive in the Kaliji area. The victimized family claims that after paying regular bribes to certain dishonest forest department officials for the past eight years, their established orchard was vindictively destroyed solely because they could not make the payment this time due to financial distress.

Local residents questioned why the orchard was allowed to grow unhindered for eight years if it was illegal, noting that actions are usually taken during planting or within the first year or two. They asked why an eviction drive was launched right when the fruit was ready, echoing the victims' claims that they had regularly paid off forest beat officials from the outset. When financial hardship prevented them from meeting the demand this season, their entire livelihood was chopped down.

Orange cultivator Mosha. Salma Begum expressed her absolute devastation, stating that it took Tk 1.5 to 2 million, borrowed at high interest rates from various NGOs, to build the orchard over the past eight years. She had planned to sell the harvest to clear her debts, but the forest department wiped out everything, leaving her burdened with unpayable loans and an uncertain future.

Locals further alleged that while the drive was framed as an official recovery of government land, it was actually driven by personal revenge. The victimized family had recently shared information with journalists regarding the forest department's alleged lease trade and bribery practices, which locals believe drew the retaliatory targeting.

The severity of the operation extended beyond the trees, as the victims reported that the raiding party also smashed their sole water irrigation machine to ensure that no surviving trees could be kept alive. Visiting the ruined site in Kaliji revealed scattered branches and a heartbroken family sitting in silence amidst the wreckage, struggling to cope with the mounting pressures of loan installments and utter livelihood destruction.

Range Officer Pritam Barua, Assistant Forest Conservator of the Rajkandi Range, stated that no allegations of taking masohara had been received, but noted that if the family submits a formal written complaint regarding the eight-year lease and bribery claims to the proper authorities, action will be taken.

Sylhet Divisional Forest Officer Md. Abdul Rahman was not available for his comments.