SM Humayun Kabir, Cox’s Bazar

Specific allegations have been received that valuable trees from the 2019-20 LR garden of Sadar Eidgarh Beat under Eidgarh Range of Cox’s Bazar North Forest Division have been cut down and tobacco cultivated in about one acre of forest land. It is known that identified land grabbers in the area, in collusion with the Eidgarh Bit forest workers, cut down trees and hills on about one acre of forest land in the Khedaiya Jhiri area of ​​LR Bagan in 2019-20 and cultivated tobacco there. Multiple sources in the Eidgarh area have claimed that crimes such as forcible encroachment of forest land, tree smuggling, and cutting down mountains have increased significantly since the current range officer, Abdul Jabbar, took charge. Every day, from dawn until dusk, locals witness dumpers full of illegal trees being smuggled across Eidgarh Bazaar. Following this, land grabbers came and occupied the forest land of the garden and cultivated tobacco. When Range Officer Abdul Jabbar was contacted on his mobile phone to get his statement on this matter, it was not possible to get his statement as he did not receive it. Locals have strongly demanded that tobacco cultivation in Khedaiya Jhiri be uprooted and forest land be reclaimed.