AB Razzaq

The Forest Department is plunged into darkness like a deep forest. Corruption and looting in this sector has reached such a level that it is not easily exposed.

Thousands of crores of taka have been embezzled by showing lucrative projects, forestry projects or revenue sector allocations on papers, it is widely alleged.

Range officers, station officers and divisional officers are directly involved in postings through bribes, shrinking of forests, indiscriminate destruction of forests and wildlife and sanctuaries. More than a hundred animals of extinct species have been lost, environment, environment and nature are in extreme crisis.

According to the complaint, Chief Conservator of Forests Amir Hossain Chowdhury has allegedly embezzled hundreds of crores of taka in posting business through syndicate. Due to this, the Forest Department is on the verge of destruction today. Two of the members of his syndicate are newly transferred Conservator of Forests of Chittagong Region Bipul Krishna Roy and Conservator of Forests of Dhaka Social Forest Zone SM Monirul Islam and former minister for Forest, Environment and Climate Change Sahab Uddin and his son Zakir Hossain Jumon were behind this corruption circle .

According to a source, this syndicate of the chief forest conservator illegally traded hundreds of crores of taka during the tenure of former forest minister Sahab Uddin through postings business.

Zakir Hossain Jumon, son of former minister Sahab Uddin, was the key man behind this syndicate. Jumon moved to the country from London soon after his father became a minister. From his father's residence in Dhaka, Jumon started interfering in various affairs of the Ministry and Forest Department. Several officials said that he was known as 'Jumman Butcher' by many in the Forest Department due to his excessive bribe taking.

Several field level foresters and forest guards who suffered discrimination in the transfer business said that on August 5, a sit-in programme was announced at the Forest building in Dhaka against the Chief Forest Conservator, the deputy of the dictatorial government. Immediately after the announcement of the programme, the Chief Conservator of Forests managed everyone through a tactful meeting.

They claimed , still junior foresters and forest guards are being posted in good places without giving responsibility of range and check posts to senior foresters through posting trade. The forest guards at the field level are of the opinion that if the posting inequality is not resolved, there may be a drastic movement at any time.

The source also said that according to the demands of the officials, the different ranges, stations and divisional forest divisions of the forest area are divided into first, second and third class according to the forest area. Tk 15 lakhs is taken for posting of Range Officer of First Class Forest Department for two years, Tk 10 lakhs for posting of Range Officers of Class II and Tk 5 lakhs for posting of Range Officers of Class III.

It is learnt that Tk 20 lakh has been fixed for one year posting of station officer in first class check post, Tk 10 lakh for posting of station officer in second class check post and Tk 5 lakh for posting of station officer in third class check post.50 lakh for posting of first class divisional forest officer for two years. Tk. 30 lakhs for the posting of Divisional Forest Officers of the second class and Tk. 20 lakhs for the posting of Divisional Forest Officers of the third class.

This syndicate is not limited to posting business only. As per the transfer policy, the new business starts on the expiry of one year of station posting and two years of posting of range and divisional officers. These officials of the Forest Department said that after the expiry of the fixed period, the monthly salary of range officers, check station officers and divisional forest officers has to be paid every month until new postings are made.

Meanwhile, Vipul Krishna posted about a dozen foresters in his own ring in lucrative positions on July 25 in exchange of taka. The list of ten people came to this reporter. Among them Coastal Forest Division Forester Md Mozammel Haque Sarkar in Lama Forest Division, Forester HM Jalilur Rahman in Bandarban Forest Division and Khandaker Ariful Islam in Lama Forest Division. Md. Ariful Islam of Chittagong South Forest Division in Pulpwood Forest Division, Ashraful Islam in Lama Forest Division and Forester Md. Manjur Morshed in Applied Forest Division. Abhijit Kumar Barua, Forester of Pulpwood Forest Division, Forester of Applied Forest Division, Md. Rafi Ud Daula Sardar, Forester of Applied Forest Division was posted in Bandarban Forest Division, Forester of Lama Forest Division, SM Rezaul Islam, was posted in Chittagong North Forest Division.

According to the Forest Department's Transfer Policy 2004, there is a provision to hold duty for one year for the officer in charge at the check station, two years for the range officer and divisional forest officer in one office. There are complaints that the officials have been serving their duties for one to three years without the transfer policy in some check stations.

However, many said that check station officials were transferred due to the one year transfer policy in the case of subordinate employees.

These coveted postings of Divisional Forest Officers include Chittagong North and South Forest Division of Chittagong Region, Chittagong Coastal Forest Division, Chittagong Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division, Cox's Bazar North and South Forest Division, Bandarban Pulpwood Forest Division, Bandarban Forest Division, Lama Forest Division. Rangamati region includes Chittagong Hill Tracts North Forest Division, Chittagong Hill Tracts South Forest Division, Zoom Control Forest Division, USF Forest Division and Khagrachari Forest Division.

About the allegations of corruption, Chief Conservator of Forest Amir Hossain Chowdhury denied it and said I am not involved in such activities.