Dhaka, Aug 14 (bdnews24.com) - Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has claimed that timber worth Tk 135 crore is being smuggled out of the Sunderbans every year by reeds and fishing boats only.
They made the claim in a research paper titled "Transparency and accountability in conservation of forests: Problems and way out".
They said most timber traders of Khulna, Bagerhat, Sharankhola, Mongla, Pirojpur, Shyamnagar and Satkhira adjacent to the Sunderbans have been smuggling valuable timber including Sundari every now and then.
Besides, a section of corrupt officials and employees of the forest department, local people's representatives, political leaders and workers, local journalists and dishonest officials of the administration are involved with the smuggling.
TIB assistant research officer Monzur-e-Khoda presented the research report at a roundtable at the National Press Club Thursday in presence of the chief adviser's special assistant in charge of the ministries of forest and environment Raja Devashish Roy.
Former adviser to caretaker government Sultana Kamal presided over the meeting.
The report projected smuggling of timber from the reserved forest, collaboration of saw mills and furniture shops in timber smuggling, irregularities in auctioning of forest resources and project implementation, irregularities and corruption in giving postings and transfers and other issues.
"On an average Tk 84 lakh has to be given in bribes in 27 heads including the forest office, DC office and check posts to smuggle 400 CFT or one truck-load of timber from reserved forest in Rangamati to Chittagong under the cover of a jot permit.
"Another Tk 50,000 has to be given as bribe to smuggle the Tk 8 lakh timber to Dhaka," the study found.
"One third of the illegally collected timber from reserved forests of Rangamati circle are processed in saw mills and sent to different areas. About 80 percent of the timber processed in the saw mills of Bandarban is collected from the reserved forests illegally.
"Similarly one third of the timber processed in the saw mills at Chakoria, Moulvibazar and Habiganj are illegally collected," the report said.
The forest office has to be given Tk 60,000 in bribe and the DC office Tk 30,000 for setting up saw mill at Rangamati and Khagrachhari.
In Bandarban Tk 90,000 and Tk 40,000 respectively have to be given for the same purpose. In Moulvi Bazar and Habiganj the rate is Tk 1, 50,000 and Tk 30,000 respectively for getting the permission. Besides, toll of Tk 1,000 to Tk 3,000 has to be paid every month.
"Some furniture shops use smuggled timber managing the forest department, DC office and police administration in exchange [for] money. Big amount of bribe change hands for transfer in the forest department."
The Bangladesh chapter of the Berlin-based corruption watchdog said to get posted as a conservator of forests in Khulna circle the amount of bribe is Tk 20 lakh, in Chittagong and Rangamati circles the amount is Tk 50 lakh.
For posting as assistant conservator of forest and ranger Tk 4 lakh to Tk 10 lakh has to be given as bribe in different circles.
Raja Devashish Roy said, "Forest resources cannot be saved using gun and manpower. The people dependent on forest has to be given rights on the forest to save it."
Kamal called for doing everything in the interest of the people. "We have got many opportunities. But these could not be availed of due to corruption."
TIB has made a number of recommendations to build up the forest department as a transparent and accountable organisation. These include adoption of protective forest policy and implementation, creating alternative livelihood and lessen dependence on forest, build up community forestry, reinclusion of the post inspector general of forest, creation of the post of separate CCF, increasing manpower in the camp and stations.
Quoting the forest department the TIB said at present there are 2.52 million hectares of forest land in Bangladesh which is 17.4 percent of the total land of the country.
Some 1.52 million hectares of forest are under the control of the forest department. The rest 0.73 million hectares are under the district administration and 0.27 million hectares are rural forest.
The amount of land under the forest department that has been illegally grabbed is about 2.70 lakh acres.
Forest and environment secretary Abul Hasan Md Rezaul Kabir, chief conservator of forest AKM Shamsuddin, Bangladesh Environment Lawyers' Association executive director Rizwana Hasan, Farid Uddin of Arannyak Foundation and TIB executive director Iftekharuzzaman were present.
bdnews24.com/rb/eh/bd/2057hours
