Road through elephant corridor in forest: Project advanced without informing Forest Department

Khutakhali Bazar is at the left side of the Chakaria section of Chattogram–Cox’s Bazar highway. From this market, a road heading east extends about one and a half to two kilometres to reach Madhushia Garjan Forest. As one enters the forest, rows of tall garjan trees come into view. A quiet forest stretch is cut through by the Khutakhali canal. Along the narrow walking path inside the forest, elephant footprints are scattered, and in places, even dung is visible. All these signs indicate that elephants still move through this route.

Through this very forest land, the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) has taken up a project to construct a road of about five kilometres. Nearly half of the work has already been completed without securing approval from the Forest Department. Now, a no objection certificate (NOC) from the Bangladesh Forest Department (BFD) has been sought at the mid-stage of the project.

Experts warn that if the road is constructed inside the forest, it will disrupt elephant movement and increase human–elephant conflict. At the same time, the ancient Madhushia Garjan Forest will also come under serious threat.

The 11-kilometer road is being constructed under the South Chattogram Regional Development Project (SCRDP), funded by the Bangladesh government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Construction on six kilometers at both ends—from Khutakhali Bazar to Madhushia in the east and from Idgor to Kalapara in the west—is already finished. The remaining five kilometers pass through the heart of the Madhushia reserved forest.

According to a 2018 directive from the Prime Minister’s Office, obtaining permission from the Forest Department is mandatory before initiating any project within forest lands. Despite this, nearly half of the project work has already been completed by LGED without such approval. At the midpoint of the project, they have now written to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change seeking an NOC.

Mohammad Sayeduzzaman Sadek, Executive Engineer of LGED’s Cox’s Bazar office, noted that while work on the forest ends is done, the road is vital for locals. He argued it would simplify travel between Khutakhali and Idgor, reducing both time and distance.

When asked why permission wasn't taken earlier, Sayeduzzaman referred the matter to the project director.

Project Director Abdus Sattar told Prothom Alo that a letter has been sent through the district office. He said that if permission is granted, the work will proceed; if not, it won’t. However, he declined to comment on why approval was sought midway through the project.

Between 2013 and 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) conducted a study to identify elephant routes in Bangladesh. The resulting ‘Atlas: Elephant Routes and Corridors in Bangladesh’ identified 12 corridors in Cox’s Bazar and Chattogram.

Eight of those are in the Cox’s Bazar region, including the Khutakhali-Medhakachhapia corridor, which runs directly through the Madhushia Garjan forest. Forest Department data shows that important corridors like Ukhia-Ghumdhum and Tulabagan-Panerchhara were already blocked due to the 2017 Rohingya influx. Additionally, the Dohazari-Cox’s Bazar railway line has damaged the Fashiakhali, Manikpur and Chunati corridors.

Experts fear this new road will further shrink the habitat.

Professor MA Aziz of the Department of Zoology at Jahangirnagar University and an elephant expert told Prothom Alo that forest ecosystems are already under pressure. If new roads are built, elephants and other wildlife will face further danger.

He urged the authorities to find an alternative route to protect forests and wildlife.

At the beginning of April, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change sought the Forest Department’s opinion on the proposed road construction. In response, the Forest Department said in a letter that the Madhushia Garjan forest is an important corridor for elephants. It warned that building a road there would increase human–elephant conflict, damage the ecological integrity of the forest, and threaten biodiversity.

Ministry Secretary Md. Raihan Kawsar told Prothom Alo that an application for an NOC to construct a road through the forest has been received. However, no approval has been granted so far.

Meanwhile, Cox’s Bazar-2 (Maheshkhali–Kutubdia) lawmaker Almagir Muhammad Mahfuz Ullah Farid has submitted a demi-official (DO) letter to the Forest Department seeking clearance for roads through reserved forests in Maheshkhali upazila. He has proposed constructing 30 roads through forest land and requested necessary action from the ministry.

In the letter issued on 20 May, he requested the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to take necessary measures for the implementation of these roads.

Alamgir Muhammad Mahfuzullah Farid told Prothom Alo, if roads are not built, from which route will goods be transported? The tenders for these roads have already been completed; due to the Forest Department, work cannot proceed.

Regarding the issue of not obtaining Forest Department clearance before tendering as per government decision, he said, “If the government can implement SPM (Single Point Mooring) projects inside forests in Rampal and Maheshkhali, why can’t we build roads?”

It is noted that SPM refers to a facility for unloading oil from ships and storing it.

These forest areas fall under the Chattogram Coastal Forest Division. A letter sent on 14 June from the division to the Forest Department stated that the proposed road from JM Ghat to Kalamarchhara in Maheshkhali passes through a reserved forest. It was declared a reserved forest under Section 20 of the Forest Act in 1957. The area is home to wildlife such as barking deer, spotted deer, monkeys, rhesus macaques, endangered hill tortoises and pythons. The forest department’s afforestation programmes are also ongoing in this area.

The letter further stated that constructing a road in this reserved forest would destroy wildlife habitats, lead to tree felling, disrupt soil microorganisms, harm insects, plants and water bodies, and severely damage the overall forest ecosystem.

One of the laws passed in Parliament after the BNP came to power is the Forest and Tree Conservation Act 2026.

Section 7 of Chapter Three of the Act states that no natural forest can be used for non-forest purposes. In the case of other forest lands, diversion is only allowed for essential national needs and only if no alternative exists, with the approval of the Cabinet and the government. Such approval must consider independent environmental and social impact assessments, compensatory afforestation, loss of ecosystem balance and risks to endangered plants and animals.

The National Forest Policy 2025 discourages the use of forest land for non-forest purposes. Clause 10 states that forest land will not be used for non-forest purposes. Clause 1(5) states that the use of forest land for non-forest purposes will be stopped.

Clause 1(6) states that due to the scarcity of forest land in the country, forest land cannot be used for non-forest purposes without Cabinet approval and approval from the head of government.

Similarly, Section 17 of the National Land Use Policy 2001 emphasises the conservation of forest land. Article 18(A) of the Constitution states that the state shall protect and improve the environment for present and future citizens and ensure the conservation and safety of natural resources, biodiversity, wetlands, forests and wildlife.

Despite these provisions, natural forests in Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar continue to decline due to encroachment and development projects.

According to the Forest Department’s latest survey conducted in 2025, about 101,000 hectares of forest land have been lost over the past decade. This has further reduced the habitat of the Asian elephant, which is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN.

Professor Md. Kamal Hossain of the Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences at Chittagong University told Prothom Alo that the head of government has taken a programme to plant 2.5 billion trees to preserve the country’s natural diversity and ecological balance.

In such a context, he said, it is unacceptable for an MP and the LGED to attempt constructing a road through forest land.

Highlighting the environmental risks of building roads inside forests, Professor Kamal Hossain said that such a road would eventually bring electricity lines and human settlements into the area, gradually fragmenting the forest and disrupting wildlife movement. Over time, he warned, the entire Madhushia forest could be lost.

He stressed that instead of cutting through the forest, alternative routes for the road must be explored.