Local forest department personnel in Patuakhali were assaulted and chased away by individuals who were allegedly felling trees and occupying government afforestation land in Golachipa Upazila. The incident occurred on Friday afternoon (October 25), when the accused individuals entered the Charagusti forest tract and felled approximately 400 to 500 trees valued at an estimated 10 million taka.
According to the forest department, Shahin Howlader (42), the younger brother of Golachipa Upazila BNP Joint Convener Renu Akhter, orchestrated the land grab alongside his associates Md Farooq (55), Azad Talukdar (50), and Abdur Rahim. The department alleged that the perpetrators deployed excavators to dig up soil and construct embankments for watermelon cultivation after destroying the forest cover.
The conflict escalated on Friday afternoon when Charagusti forestry beat officer Abdur Barik and accompanying staff rushed to the scene to halt the destruction. The accused perpetrators brazenly defied the officials, subjected them to physical abuse and intimidation, and forced them to flee the area. In response to the altercation, Beat Officer Barik formally lodged a general diary (GD) at the Golachipa Police Station on Saturday (October 26).
Detailing the extent of the ecological damage, forest officials stated that the destroyed vegetation included 10-to-11-year-old Keora, Shailla, Gewa, and Bain trees planted across a coastal afforestation project initiated during the 2015-16 fiscal year covering 75 hectares. The perpetrators subsequently began earth-moving operations across nearly 200 acres of land. Video footage captured on local mobile phones documented Shahin Howlader aggressively claiming ownership of the land and engaging in a heated verbal altercation with forest officials.
Attempts to obtain a response from Shahin Howlader over a three-day period spanning Saturday, Sunday, and Monday proved unsuccessful as his mobile phone remained switched off or unanswered, and he failed to respond to a text message sent on Sunday evening. Meanwhile, BNP leader Renu Akhter categorically denied the allegations, maintaining that she had been staying in Dhaka for several days and had no knowledge of the forest destruction, while directing inquiries to her brother. Golachipa Upazila Forest Range Officer Nayan Mistry confirmed that legal proceedings are underway, stating that further punitive measures will be adopted in consultation with high-ranking authorities.
