Forest rangers attacked when reclaiming hills and forests in Rangunia

Across the Karnaphuli River from Chandraghona Lichubagan in Rangunia, Chattogram, lies the Kodala Forest Beat. The scars of hill cutting, new settlements and tree stumps are visible across the landscape.

A few days spent visiting several areas of Rangunia in July revealed a similar picture in the Kodala, Narischha, Chiringa, Pomra and Nishchintapur forest beats. In some places, roads had been cut into hills to transport soil; elsewhere, new houses had been built, while the remains of felled trees pointed to ongoing logging.

Local residents and forest officials said that before 5 August 2024, businesses involving forests, hills and sand were controlled by followers of former minister Hasan Mahmud.

During the Awami League government, more than 212 acres of Forest Department land in Rangunia were illegally occupied, much of it allegedly by Hasan Mahmud’s brother Ershad Mahmud. Around 200 acres under his control were recovered in August 2024 after the government fell.

Yet illegal occupation and tree smuggling have continued. The Forest Department says about 2,000 acres of forestland in Rangunia remain occupied, a large portion of it allegedly taken over by people using the names and political identities of local BNP and Jubo Dal leaders and activists.

Signs of forest and hill destruction

Signs of deforestation and hill cutting can be seen across Rangunia. Agricultural land and hills have been cut in Islampur union along the Rangamati road. Extensive earth-cutting has also been observed in Mohammadpur and Golachipa areas of South Rajanagar union.

The roughly 3,300-acre Kodala Forest Beat is largely hilly forestland. Visits to Chandraghona Bongram, Segunbagan, Kolabaijyaghona, Bottoli, Dhuillyachhari, Nishchintapur, Foittyagoda and Mahutverghona revealed widespread forest encroachment, hill cutting and tree smuggling.

Residents said hill cutting resumes after short pauses. Soil is generally removed at night, loaded onto trucks and transported to ponds, canals, water bodies, paddy fields and various land-filling projects.

Some locals claimed that more than 100 trucks carry away soil on certain nights.

Forest officials said those involved in hill cutting and forest encroachment have armed supporters and political influence, making it difficult for the limited number of forest personnel to stop them. Rangers have also faced attacks during drives against illegal activities.

Forest officials attacked

Former Kodala Forest Beat deputy ranger KM Mahmudul Hasan was attacked during one such operation. Forest officials said he was repeatedly hacked with sharp weapons. Other forest workers have also been assaulted and threatened at various times.

According to a general diary filed with Rangunia police, between 12:30am and 5:00 am on 7 March, 2025, around 40 to 45 armed men locked Kodala beat officer Khondkar Mahabubur Rahman and his colleagues inside their office. They also took away their mobile phones. The GD said the men were carrying machetes, kiriches, knives, iron rods and other locally made weapons.

The men allegedly cut down and removed 24 teak trees from Segunbagan in South Jungle Nishchintapur of Chandraghona union while keeping the forest officials confined. The GD also said the attackers threatened to kill the officials if they informed police or senior authorities.

An official who took part in the operation said hundreds of people gather whenever forest personnel attempt to remove illegal structures from forestland and chase them away.

According to the Forest Department, forest officials have had to fire around 30 rounds during operations over the past 18 months to confront armed forest robbers and encroachers. The encroachers have also fired back. In the previous two years, only two rounds had been fired during operations in the Kodala beat.

Forest officials said that even firing warning shots has failed to completely stop hill cutting and encroachment. When one group is removed, another often returns after a few days and begins constructing houses under a different identity.

A similar situation was found in the Chiringa Forest Beat. Forest guard Khokon Das told Prothom Alo that frequent killings and clashes in the area put everyone, including forest personnel, at risk.

Encroachment and smuggling under political identities

Only four people, including a deputy ranger and forest personnel, are currently assigned to the Kodala Forest Beat. Officials said it is almost impossible for such a small team to prevent tree felling and smuggling, stop encroachment and simultaneously handle related legal cases.

After the political change on 5 August 2024, the Kodala Forest Beat office was attacked and looted. Seized timber, furniture and other materials were taken away, and the office was set on fire.

Local residents alleged that after the change in government, several BNP and Jubo Dal leaders and activists in the Chandraghona-Kadamtali area became involved in occupying forests and hills by using their political identities. Several names also appear on Forest Department lists: Chandraghona Ward 9 BNP president Ahmadul Haque, Lichubagan CNG Drivers’ Association president and BNP activist Abdul Mannan alias Monu, Jubo Dal activist Juel, his brother Md Sohel and Kefayet Ullah.

Ahmadul Haque denied the allegations, saying, “On the contrary, I have protected the resources in the forest beat.” Abdul Mannan and Juel also denied involvement when contacted by phone.

Local and Forest Department sources said a timber-carrying vehicle used by Juel was seized by the BGB and handed over to the Kaptai Forest Department. Sohel has been accused of supplying bricks and sand to houses built on occupied forestland.

Khondkar Mahabubur Rahman, deputy ranger of the Kodala Forest Beat, said that despite the shortage of manpower, they were making every effort to protect the forest. Cases were being filed regularly and smuggled timber was being seized. However, he said forest personnel constantly face various risks and threats.

GDs filed, but encroachment continues

Forest officials filed at least 10 general diaries with Rangunia police during the first six months of this year over threats and attempts to attack them. The GDs said people gathered to obstruct operations when officials tried to evict illegal settlers or prevent the occupation of forestland and felling of trees. In many cases, attempts were made to attack forest guards, allegedly under the leadership of local political figures.

Mohammad Sohel Rana, divisional forest officer of Chattogram South Forest Division, told Prothom Alo, “Encroachers sometimes try to attack us when we conduct recovery drives. Something similar happened recently after an operation in Dhopachhari. However, whenever we receive information, we go with the necessary preparations. We also seek assistance from the police and upazila administration.”

A local resident who witnessed several operations in the Kodala Forest Beat said the encroachers move around in large groups, many carrying weapons. A small number of forest officials cannot stand up to them, he said.

In his view, coordinated operations involving the police, army, BGB, district administration and Forest Department are needed to free the forests from encroachment. But first, he said, there must be a political decision that no one will be allowed to occupy forestland using the identity of any political party.

A Forest Department official warned that if deforestation and hill cutting continue at the current rate, there may be no forest left in the area within 10 years. More than 100 houses were reportedly attempted to be built in the Kodala beat alone this year.

There are leaders in almost every household now, the official said. Without political action, the Forest Department alone cannot protect these forests.