No training academy on forest land in Cox's Bazar: Parliamentary committee

The parliamentary committee on the environment, forest and climate change ministry has opposed the construction of the training academy for government officials on 700 acres of forest land in Cox’s Bazar.

They have recommended the ministry not to give the final clearance for the project. The committee said they are not against the construction of the training academy. However, it could not be done in a reserved forest area.

There is no scope of allocating a reserved forest land. However, the land ministry allocated the 700 acres of reserved forest land of Jhliong mouza in Cox’s Bazar to the public administration ministry in June last year.

But a demand to cancel the training academy construction project arose after several reports in the media about it. The issue was discussed at the meeting of the parliamentary committee on Sunday.

According to sources in the parliamentary committee, the ministry on Sunday's meeting said that the allocated area is a reserved forest area under the forest ministry.

The height of the hills varies from 20 to 200 feet. There are 100 acres of orchards created through social afforestation under the afforestation project in the coastal areas to address the adverse effects of climate change. There are different species of trees.

The area is also abode to elephants, monkeys, wild pigs, various species of snakes and birds. If the proposed institution is set up in that area, the environment will be severely damaged.

After the meeting, parliamentary committee chairman Saber Hossain Chowdhury told Prothom Alo that there was no scope to allocate the forest land. However, it was allocated.

The parliamentary committee has asked the environment ministry not to submit a no-objection letter for final approval of the project. The ministry also has the same view on this issue.

It is not right for another government agency to take over the forest land when the occupied forest land is being recovered in other areas, he added.

Saber Hossain Chowdhury said that they suspect that the concerned authorities got the approval for the project from the prime minister's office only by submitting the land records without the submission of nature and size of the land.

He said, “We support the process of increasing the efficiency and capacity of public administration. However, there is no scope of constructing the training academy in that place. However, there is no chance of it happening in that place, because it is against our rule and constitution.”