Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Md Shahab Uddin said all the places that are being left up as a result of the phased relocation of Rohingyas to Bhasanchar will be planted with trees. Instructing the concerned persons of the Forest Department to plant adequate amount of trees in other places including Cox’s Bazar district including Rohingya settlements, the Forest Minister said that efforts should be continued to restore the damaged forests by regenerating the destroyed forests.

The Environment Minister said this from his office in Bangladesh Secretariat while addressing a virtual monthly meeting to review the implementation progress of the ministry’s Annual Development Program (ADP) for the fiscal year 2020-21 on Wednesday (December 30) online.

Mohammad Abdul Awal Sarkar, project director of the Green Belt Creation, Environment Restoration and Eco-Tourism Development Project in Cox’s Bazar district said the issue of Rohingya relocation was being monitored regularly. Currently only isolated Rohingyas are being relocated so the visible space has not been vacated yet. More Rohingyas will be relocated and trees will be planted there if the place becomes free. He said the project will create 1,000 hectares of forest under social forestry activities and 500 hectares under natural forest development activities. 400 hectares under the long-term garden creation program of native species; Zhou Garden-200 hectares; Coconut saplings – 12000, ornamental saplings – 5000; Strip afforestation – 5 km, eco-tourism facilities of Himchhari National Park and Medhakchupia National Park will be developed.

Deputy Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Begum Habibun Nahar, Secretary Ziaul Hasan NDC, Additional Secretary (Administration) Md. Billal Hossain said at the meeting , Additional Secretary (Environment) Mahmud Hossain, Additional Secretary (Development) Ahmed Shamim Al Razi, Additional Secretary (Climate Change) Md. Mizanul Haque Chowdhury, Director General of the Department of Environment. A, K, M Rafique Ahammed, Chief Conservator of Forests Amir Hossain Chowdhury heads of the Departments including project directors of various projects took part in the discussion. At the meeting, everyone discussed about completing the ongoing projects in a timely manner.