Two Thousand Acres of Forest Remain Under Illegal Occupation in Rangunia Amid Persistent Violence and Political Encroachment
Photo Collected
Approximately 2,000 acres of forest land in Rangunia, Chittagong, remain under illegal occupation, with local political actors reportedly spearheading ongoing deforestation and land grabbing. Despite a shift in the national political landscape in August 2024, forest officials report that organized groups—now allegedly using the identities of local BNP and Jubo Dal members—continue to occupy protected land, clear hills, and smuggle timber.
During the tenure of the previous Awami League government, more than 212 acres of forest land were seized in Rangunia alone, much of it orchestrated by associates of former minister Hasan Mahmud. While authorities reclaimed approximately 200 acres formerly held by Ershad Mahmud following the government’s collapse, the recovery efforts have been eclipsed by new encroachments. Forest Department data confirms that 2,000 acres of forest land across Kodala, Narischa, Chiringa, Pomra, and Nishchintapur forest beats are currently under illicit control.
Field reports from various Rangunia localities reveal extensive environmental degradation, including hillside deforestation to clear paths for construction and large-scale soil excavation. Residents noted that hills are frequently cut at night, with soil transported by hundreds of trucks to fill low-lying areas, ponds, and private development projects.
The Forest Department remains critically under-resourced, struggling to confront groups that utilize armed personnel and political leverage to intimidate staff. Officials report that attempts to carry out eviction drives are frequently met with violent resistance. In one documented incident from March 7, 2025, approximately 45 armed individuals allegedly held Kodala beat official Khondakar Mahabubur Rahman and his team hostage at their office for several hours, preventing them from interfering as 24 teak trees were harvested from the Nishchintapur area.
Violence against forest personnel has escalated significantly. Former Deputy Ranger KM Mahamudul Hasan previously suffered severe injuries in a knife attack during an enforcement operation. Statistics from the Forest Department indicate that, in the last 18 months, rangers have been forced to discharge approximately 30 rounds of ammunition to repel armed land grabbers, compared to only two rounds in the preceding two-year period.
Several local figures have been identified by the Forest Department as suspected facilitators of these illegal activities, including Chondroghona Ward No. 9 BNP President Ahmadul Haque, local activist Abdul Mannan, and Jubo Dal members Jewel, Md. Sohel, and Kefayet Ullah. Each of the accused has denied involvement, with Ahmadul Haque claiming he acted to protect the forest assets rather than exploit them.
The scale of the crisis has prompted forest officials to file at least ten general diaries with the Rangunia Police Station in the first six months of this year alone, citing threats and obstruction. However, officials warn that limited staffing—such as the four-person team currently responsible for the 3,300-acre Kodala beat—is insufficient to halt the systematic destruction.
Mohammad Sohel Rana, the Divisional Forest Officer of Chittagong South, stated that the department coordinates with police and local administration to conduct raids, though the threat of organized violence persists. Observers and forest personnel agree that unless there is a unified, high-level administrative and military intervention coupled with a strict policy barring political actors from shielding land grabbers, the region risks total deforestation within the next decade.
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