Alikadam ( Bandarban) Correspondent

In Alikadam upazila of Bandarban, there has been a complaint of smuggling of 200 teak trees from the protected forest area under Tain range.

In this incident, 3 officers-employees of the forest department (range officer Zulfikar Ali, beat officer Mozammel and forest guard Alok Sen) Suspended by the concerned authority.

Meanwhile, the RAB and Forest Department recovered the smuggled wood in a raid last Sunday evening. Lama Divisional Forest Officer Ariful Haque Belal confirmed this information.

It is known that a few days ago, Habibur Rahman Kalam, a resident of Madhujiri village of Lama Upazila, filed a written complaint against the officers and employees of the Tain Range of the Forest Department regarding the smuggling of teak trees planted in the reserved forest area.

In the complaint, it is mentioned that the trees of the protected forest area of the forest department have been cut and destroyed in Kankrajhiri and Duprojhiri Slopara area of Tain range. The officers and employees of Tain Range of the Forest Department have played a silent role even after knowing the matter. With the direct connivance of Tain Range Officer Zulfikar Ali, the gang has cut and smuggled teak trees worth about three crore rupees.

Zulfikar Ali, the Tain range officer who was temporarily suspended in this regard, said, 'Teak trees of Kankrajhiri and Duprojhiri forest areas have been smuggled. But I don't know anything about it. We are the victims of a conspiracy.' 800 cubic feet of teak wood was recovered in an operation led by Mehraj Uddin, range officer of Phansiakhali range of Cox's Bazar North Forest Division from noon to evening on Sunday.

An investigation committee was formed on April 30 in the case of tree theft. Based on the investigation committee's report, the range officer, beat officer and a forest guard have been withdrawn from the range and suspended.

Lama Divisional Forest Officer Ariful Haque Belal said that five cases are under process in the case of tree theft