Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Md. Shahab Uddin said the government has intensified forest and wildlife conservation and afforestation activities to build a prosperous Bangladesh. As part of ensuring sustainable forest management, illegal occupants of forests must move out of the forest. The Environment Minister said, “I seek the cooperation of all to restore and conserve the forest land through eviction of illegal occupation of the forest.
The Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change made the remarks while addressing a discussion titled ‘Sustainable Forests and Prosperous Bangladesh’ at the Forest Department in Agargaon on Thursday (March 11) on the occasion of the golden jubilee of independence. Chief Conservator of Forests of the Forest Department Md. Amir Hossain Chowdhury presided over the function while Director-General of the Department of Environment Dr A.K.M. Rafique Ahammed and Chairman of Nature and Life Foundation Mukit Majumder Babu were present as special guests.
The Environment Minister said a new trend has started in the creation and development of forest resources in Bangladesh under the initiative of the present democratic government, as a result of which Bangladesh will be filled with greenery in the near future. The goal of this green is to develop a sustainable environment, alleviate poverty, build a strong economic base, create employment and build a beautiful ‘world’ livable for future generations by tackling the scourge of climate change.
The Forest Minister said the amount of tree-covered land in Bangladesh has increased to 22.37 per cent of the total area of the country through various activities taken by the government and spontaneous participation of the people. Various steps are already being taken to implement the plan to increase the amount of land covered by this tree to more than 24 per cent by 2025. The Minister said that cooperative forest management activities are being implemented to improve the living standards of the forest-dependent people by taking alternative livelihood activities to reduce their dependence on forests. The Forest Minister said public awareness has increased due to regular campaigns and mobile courts to control wildlife crime. With the increase in technical capabilities, we have been able to respond more quickly to crime information. With the joint efforts of all, we will be able to build a prosperous Bangladesh through sustainable forest management.
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of independence, the Minister released 50 Tia and Munia birds in nature. There was also a documentary on the environmental thoughts of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a documentary on the activities of the Nature and Life Foundation in environmental and forest conservation in Bangladesh and a presentation on the achievements and prospects of the Forest Department in 50 years of independence.
