Public protest against tree-felling along Jessore highway

Despite growing protest of environmentalists and the common people, the government is going ahead with its decision to chop down century-old trees along the Jessore-Benapole highway for a four-lane project. This will entail 2,312 trees being felled, at the cost of the environment.

During a dialogue held on 6 January at the Jessore deputy commissioner’s conference room, the matter of the tree cutting was discussion. These views were later forwarded to the road transport and highways division (RTHD).

Media reports of these old trees being removed met with public protest. Socheton Nagorik of Jessore organised a human chain programme in front of Jessore press club on Wednesday morning.

Organiser of the programme, Zillur Rahman, said RTHD had 100 ft to 140 ft of land on either side of the highway, making it needless to remove the trees.

Head of Khulna University’s forestry and wood technology discipline, Md. Enamul Kabir, said roadside trees helped prevent erosion. He said the trees deflected light, lessening chances of accident.

Jessore Shilpakala Academy general secretary Mahamudul Hassan said, “These century-old trees bear memories of our liberation war. We need development, but not at the cost of heritage and the environment.”

Jessore district unit of Bangladesh Workers’ Party Iqbal Kabir said, vested quarters want to remove the trees. This is an anti-environment decision that goes against public interests.

Previously, the road transport and bridge ministry took a decision to upgrade the highway on 13 July. The previous DPP (Development Project Proposal) was corrected and the RTHD invited tenders accordingly on 17 August. The tender is now being scrutinised by the national committee for tender purchase.

Meanwhile, at a meeting on 6 January, chaired by the district commissioner of Jessore Md Ashraf Uddin, it was said that the trees would be felled to upgrade the highway into four lanes.

Additional secretary of RTHD Belayet Hossain on Monday told Prothom Alo, three routes of the country will connect with the Asian highway while two of the routes include the Jessore-Benapole highway. A six-lane project in future will leave no other option but acquisition of more land on both sides of the highway.

Executive engineer of RTHD in Jessore, Md Jahangir Alam, said the road was not being upgraded to four lanes right now. It will be two lanes instead. He said a survey was being conducted from Gopalganj's Bhatiapara to Benapole for six lanes. He added, it was impossible to upgrade the highway without cutting down the trees, whether it to be six-lane or two-lane.

Zila parishad chairman Saifuzzaman said the trees along the highway were dying. These could fall on passers-by, causing fatal accidents. "We have to cut down the trees for the sake of development. But we have to plant new trees after the roads are upgraded," he stressed. 

The trees lining the highway include babla, khoyer, korai, akashmani, mango, jackfruit and shimul trees, as well as 745 ancient rain-trees.

Way back in 1931, district collector Johnson took the initiative to design a 24 feet wide Jessore-Benapole highway. The highway has been upgraded since then several times, but not expanded.

Later, executive committee of the national economic council (ECNEC) approved the highway project of Tk 3.29 billion on 21 March last year.

According to RTHD, this 24-feet wide road will be widened to 40.35 feet starting from the Daratana of Jessore while the whole project is scheduled to be completed by 31 December 2019.

*This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten in English Farjana Liakat and Nusrat Nowrin