A human chain was held against tree cutting in Gabura union of Shyamnagar upazila, adjacent to the Sundarbans, which has become a desert.

It was chaired by Gazi Al Imran, executive director of local non-governmental organization CDO and president of Upazila Reporters Club and moderated by CDO Youth Team member Hafizur Rahman Hafiz, Upazila Parishad Chairman Lecturer Said Uz Zaman Said, CDO Youth Team member Rouhani, Abu Rayhan, former Student leader media worker Mehdi Maruf, upazila coordinator of CNRS Ramar Chauhan, site officer Shahidul Islam, volunteer and media worker Maruf Hossain Milan, UP member Farida Parveen, volunteer Imam Hossain, Faith in Action coordinator Milton Barai.

Speakers in the human chain with the full cooperation of CNRS said that the work of 2090 meter wapdar embankment is going on in Ward No. 3 of Gabura Union. The contractor has cut down more than 3 thousand trees of various species on the banks of the Kapotaksha river for the construction of the embankment. Locals are using the cut trees worth lakhs of rupees for various purposes starting from fuel. The concerned authorities, including the forest department, do not have a headache even though the contractor has cut more than 3,000 trees. It is like the desire of Hariloot who is looting as much as he can. More than 3000 different types of trees are being used by local people and workers constantly. If the trees are cut in this way, the environment and the local population will be seriously threatened.

Speakers also said, surely Ayala is aware that in later times, the island-surrounded Gabura Union became a desert due to the invasion of salt water. With the help of various government and private organizations, afforestation of various road sides, embankments and riverbanks in Gabura Union has been done, but due to some self-interested and anti-environmental people, the afforestation activities have started to fail. In the meantime, the local community of Gabura and various voluntary organizations have carried out various programs including standards against felling of trees in Gabura’s fodder forest, but the Social Forestry Department has not taken any action. At the end of the human chain, a memorandum was given to the District Commissioner through the Upazila Nirbahi Officer.