Khorshed Alam, Sherpur

A fierce competition to occupy reserved forest land is underway across the hilly border region of Garo Hills in Sherpur. Amid a lack of effective surveillance by the Forest Department, forest lands have been continuously usurped over the years to establish settlements, rubber plantations, and agricultural fields. According to locals, an influential syndicate has been seizing forest property by fabricating ownership claims through fake documents.

Forest Department records indicate that out of approximately 21,000 acres of land under its jurisdiction in the Garo Hills area, nearly 2,000 acres are currently under illegal occupation. Roughly 3,000 houses have been built on these lands, alongside widespread farming and gardening. However, local residents claim that the actual amount of encroached forest land far exceeds official estimates.

Local residents and forestry sources note that nearly every year, the Forest Department compiles lists of illegally occupied lands and forwards them to the relevant authorities. Aside from drafting lists and exchanging official letters, visible and effective initiatives to recover the encroached forests are rarely seen.

As a result, forest lands continue to be swallowed up one after another. Because permanent settlements are being established on the grabbed plots, subsequent evictions become increasingly difficult. Locals fear that if this trend persists, the land under the Forest Department's control will shrink even further.

At one point, vast stretches of the Garo Hills featured dense forests of native tree species, including Sal, Gajari, Arjun, Bahera, and Haritaki. The woodlands served as free-roaming grounds for diverse wildlife and bird species, with foliage and creepers providing their primary sources of food.

However, this landscape has drastically transformed due to indiscriminate tree-felling, forest encroachment, and permanent settlements over a long period. Vegetation has dwindled, wildlife habitats have narrowed, and numerous indigenous flora and fauna are vanishing.

Locals alleged that while some plots inside the forest were historically recorded as private property, many of those original owners migrated to India decades ago or have passed away. Capitalizing on this vacuum, a syndicate has been fabricating fake ownership documents.

These forged papers are initially used to claim private property rights, but they are subsequently leveraged to annex adjacent forest land. The grabbed plots have been converted into rubber plantations, agricultural fields, or permanent human habitations. Residents point out that such continuous encroachment is steadily destroying the natural environment and ecosystem of the forest.

As forest land in the Garo Hills contracts, wildlife habitats and food sources are rapidly diminishing. Local observers note that the shrinking of natural roaming corridors is directly responsible for the increasing frequency of wild elephants straying into human localities.

Residents warn that habitat destruction is fueling a steady rise in human-wildlife conflicts, which could escalate into even deadlier confrontations if the forests are not preserved.

Meanwhile, Forest officials maintain that operations to reclaim occupied forest lands are ongoing.

Md. Suman Mia, Forest Range Officer for the Balijuri Range in Sribardi upazila, and Abdul Karim, Forest Range Officer for the Rangtia Range in Jhenaigati upazila, stated that approximately 150 acres of forest land across both ranges have been successfully recovered and replanted with new gardens over the past year.

They pointed out that the greatest obstacle to reclaiming forest land is the lack of genuine political goodwill among local political activists and leaders. Nevertheless, new plans have been formulated to recover the remaining lands, and necessary measures will be implemented shortly.

Environment-conscious citizens argue that the forests of the Garo Hills are not merely a regional asset for Sherpur, but a vital natural resource for the entire country. To safeguard these woodlands, authorities must swiftly identify and evict illegal occupants, demarcate forest boundaries, and intensify routine surveillance. They also demanded that individuals involved in fabricating land documents be identified and brought to justice.

Local stakeholders believe that conducting a comprehensive digital survey of lands under the Forest Department's control, complete with digital records and clear boundary pillars, would significantly curb the audacity of land grabbers. Strict surveillance must also be enforced to prevent any new settlements from sprouting inside the forests.

Locals warn that unless prompt and effective steps are taken to protect the Garo Hills forests, the total forest area will shrink further, pushing biodiversity and the natural environment toward irreversible ruin. Attempts to contact Mymensingh Divisional Forest Officer Kazi Md. Nurul Karim via phone for comments were unsuccessful as he did not answer.