AL leaders fell trees of Environmentally Critical Area to cultivate fish

Sonadia Island is located at the estuary of the Bay of Bengal some 11 kilometers north from Cox's Bazar town.  

This island is well known due to red crabs, tortoises and rare birds. While visiting the island twice in March and at the beginning of May, it was found that work on fish enclosures is going one. Trees are being felled.  

The purpose is to cultivate fish. While visiting the spot on 30 May, it was seen that work on building shrimp enclosures is about to finish. Shrimp fry will be released in the enclosures by pumping water at the end of this month. Rainy season is the main time of shrimp cultivation.

However, the environment department declared Sonadia Island an Environmentally Critical Area in 2006. That means the earth, water and natural environment of the area cannot be changed.

Residents on the island and environmentalists said 37 shrimp enclosures have been established by grabbing at least 2000 acres of mangrove forest in the island in the last four months.

Over 2.2 million small and big trees of different species including Bain and Kewra have been felled.

Awami League leaders and some influential local people are involved in it. Shrimp enclosures are guarded with locally made guns.

Murder is also taking place over the occupation of enclosures. Two people were killed in clashes between two groups in March. At least 10 people have received bullets.

Although Awami League leaders and activists are cultivating shrimps on Sonadia Island, some leaders of the party are expressing concern over it. One of them is central religious affairs secretary Sirajul Mostafa. His home is in Maheshkhali.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, he said everyone knows who the grabbers are. But not a single case has been filed against them. The acquired land in the island is not under the control of Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (BEZA. The work on eco-tourism is not going on. So what is the benefit of acquiring a huge mangrove forest?

On condition to build an eco-tourism park at Sonadia Island, the government allocated the entire island (9467 acres) for token money of Tk 1001 to BEZA in 2017. BEZA said eco-tourism Park will be built on 30 per cent of the island. The remaining portion will be a restricted area. Nothing has been done rather than filling up some portion of the land and building barracks for Ansar members.

BEZA sources said they will build an eco-tourism park in Sonadia on the basis of Public Private Partnership. But the tender for that has not been floated yet. There is no preparation. Meanwhile, a big portion of the island has been grabbed by Awami League leaders for shrimp enclosures.

As the BEZA has taken over the land of the island, the environment department keeps silent. The environment department does not say anything. The local administration conducts operations in name, and influential people remain out of touch. A bridge was built over a local river in 2004 for smooth travelling in the island. Approach roads have not yet been built there. The government agencies skip its responsibilities showing excuse as remote areas.

Sonadia is a ward in Kutubjom union of Maheshkhali. About 1000 of 334 families live there. Country's lone deep and green mangrove forest is to the north-east of the island full of biodiversity and the sea beach is to the west, south and east.

There is no direct launch or trawler for travelling to Sonadia from Cox's Bazar town. It requires hiring a speedboat to go there. Most of the people go to Sonadia crossing Ghotivanga river of Kutubjom, 10 kilometers via Ghoraghata of Maheshkhali. It needs to walk several kilometers to reach shrimp enclosures.

Using the excuse of counting birds while visiting the mangrove forest on 1 May, it was found that over 10 excavators are being used to build embankments for shrimp enclosures and trees of mangrove forest are being uprooted. Around 15 to 20 workers are building large shrimp enclosures by destroying 300 acres of mangrove forest in a place.

Preferring not to be named, several workers said around 20 to 25 leaders and activists including Mohsin Anwar of Awami League of Maheshkhali.

Mohshin Anwar is the son of Awami League’s Moheshkhali upazila unit president Anwar Pasha Chowdhury and former president of upazila Swechasebak League. He denied allegations of his involvement in shrimp farming on the island.

He told Prothom Alo that some influentials made shrimp enclosures occupying a section of the mangrove forest, but he is not involved. Some of the encroachers might be using his name for their benefit.

However, some workers said Mohshin occasionally visits the island to check on the shrimp farms.

Meanwhile, Jasim Uddin, president of Sramik League’s Moheshkhali upazila unit, is operating another shrimp farm on about 100 acres of land south of Mohshin Anwar's enclosure. He admitted to shrimp farming but claimed to have taken the land on lease from a local resident.

However, the environment law prohibits leasing out lands and fish farming in environmentally sensitive areas.

According to locals, some 20-25 people, including Moheshkhali upazila Jubo League general secretary Sajedul Karim, former member of Kutubjum union parishad Nurul Amin, and general secretary of Kutubjum union Awami League Rabiul Alam, are involved in shrimp farming.

The concerned individuals do not face any action from their party. Asked about the issue, Asheq Ullah Rafiq, lawmaker from Cox’s Bazar-2, said illegal grabbing of the mangrove forest and shrimp farming on the grabbed lands have been going on since the BNP era. He vowed to take action if any member of Awami League is found involved.

However, there is no precedent of taking action against any ruling party member.

Shrimp farms are running under the guise of cooperative societies in some parts of the Sonadia island. During a visit, two signposts – Ghatibhanga Purba Para Matshajibi Samabai Samitee and Ghatibhanga Pashchim Para Samabai Samitee – were seen at the south-east of the Ghatibhanga bridge on the island.

Zafar Alam, president of the east cooperative society, said they applied for land allocation but are yet to get approval. Later, they started shrimp farming to save the land from being grabbed, and had to cut down some trees.

Local residents said raids are conducted on the island occasionally, particularly after media reports. These raids, however, result in fines only, without any improvement in the situation. The illegal occupiers see no legal actions.

In this regard, the forest department said the island is not under their jurisdiction and they have nothing to do against illegal occupation.

Mohammad Ayub Ali, range officer of coastal afforestation division in Moheshkhali, said there are large-extent occupations of mangrove forest and shrimp farming on the Sonadia island. The forest department could not file any lawsuits as the island is now under the Bangladesh economic zones authority (BEZA).

Field level officials of the BEZA said they do not have necessary manpower to guard Sonadia island. They have only five security personnel for the island, while another 10 Ansar men have recently been deployed.

BEZA chairman Sheikh Eusuf Harun claimed to be unaware of shrimp farming on the island. As he was abroad, he vowed to look into the issue and take action upon his return.

The environment activists said that the government agencies issue statements that are akin to evading responsibilities. Everyone knows who are setting up the enclosures but no case is filed against them. Field level workers are fined but that won’t bear fruit.

Local people said the fries are released in the enclosures this month while catching and selling of shrimps from there will begin in November-December. It is possible to produce shrimps worth Tk 2.5 billion from the over 2,000 acres of land in the island. Allegations have it that many get a share of this large amount of income.

Meanwhile, clashes break out every now and then over the setting up of enclosures and occupying the mangrove forest at Sonadia island. At least two people were killed and 10 others sustained bullet injuries in a clash between local Nurul Azim Mia Bahini and Jahangir Alam Bahini from Jagiraghona in Boro Maheshkhali on 2 March. Two murder cases have been filed at Maheshkhali police station in this regard.

Maheshkhali police station officer-in-charge Sukanta Chakrabarty said five of the accused were arrested. Attempt is on to arrest the others.

People who protested against shrimp enclosures at Sonadia island have also come under attack. Local environment activist Ridwan Mahi was beaten up on 23 May evening. He filed a written complaint with Maheshkhali police station against Mohammad Akbar and Shahed Khan. But none has been arrested.

Ridwan Mahi told Prothom Alo that they have been coming under attack if they protest against destruction of forests and giving information to journalists.

Another local environment activist and leader of a BEZA-appointed security team Gias Uddin was attacked on 25 May night.

He told Prothom Alo that he was attacked as he gave  information to journalists.

The road communication with Sonadia island is not so developed. The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) constructed two bridges over Ghotibhanga river at a cost of Tk 50 million in a bid to develop the communication. But no approach road was constructed.

The locals alleged that the influential people are against a better road communication system. They think police and administration could reach the areas fast if a smoother communication system is installed. This could create obstacles to destroy the forest on the island.

Speaking about not constructing the approach road, LGED’s Maheshkhali upazila engineer Sabuj Kumar Dey told Prothom Alo a project was taken up in 2018 to construct a 4 km approach road at the two sides of the bridges. But it was scrapped as BEZA took an initiative to construct an eco-tourism park at Sonadia island.

But he could not say why the approach road was constructed earlier.

Maheshkhali upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Meekey Marma also said the same.

She told Prothom Alo that they conduct operations often and punish people. But it is hard to reach the area fast. By the time they reach the area, the occupants flee.

Various environmental organisations have been demonstrating, including forming human chains, to protect Sonadia mangrove forest.

On 26 May, four organisations Centre for Environment, Human Rights & Development Forum (CEHRDF), Maheshkhali Nagorik Odhikar Andolan, Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) and Youth Alliance for Sustainable International Development (YASID) formed human chains in front of the office of Maheshkhali UNO.

Later, a memorandum was given to the prime minister through the UNO.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, CEHRDF chief coordinator Ruhul Amin said political leaders, people’s representatives and other influential people are building shrimp enclosures destroying the mangrove forest in Sonadia. Despite this destruction, the administration keeps mum.

* The report, originally published in the print and online editions of Prothom Alo, has been rewritten in English by Rabiul Islam, Misbahul Haque and Shameem Reza