Trees felled on Dhaka-Ctg highway median to make billboard visible, case filed

Around 25 trees planted on the median of the
Dhaka-Chattogram highway in Cumilla's Chauddagram upazila were allegedly cut
down without permission to make a roadside billboard more visible, locals
claim.
Md Mobarak Hossain Bhuiyan, a work assistant of
the Cumilla Roads Sub-Division responsible for supervising trees along the
Shamuksar-Duttasar stretch of the highway, filed a case against unidentified
individuals on Monday (22 June).
According to Roads and Highways Department (RHD)
officials and local residents, the trees were cut from the highway median in
the Shamuksar area early Monday night.
The authorities have not officially confirmed
who was responsible, but locals alleged the trees were removed to improve the
visibility of a large billboard beside the highway.
Officer-in-Charge of Chauddagram Police Station
Mohammad Arif Hossain said a case had been filed against unidentified
individuals over the incident.
"The people involved will be identified and
brought under the law," he said.
According to RHD sources, various flowering and
fruit-bearing trees were planted on the highway median during the four-lane
expansion project to beautify the road and help prevent headlights from
vehicles travelling in opposite directions from causing glare and accidents.
The species planted include Haimanti, Kurchi,
Togor, Radhachura, Kanchan, Sonalu, Krishnachura, Kadam, Bokul, Palash, Korobi,
Cassia and Jarul.
On Monday morning, RHD Sub-Assistant Engineer
Palash Chakma informed Mobarak Hossain that 20 to 25 trees of different species
had been cut from the median in the Shamuksar area.
A large Crown Cement billboard stands beside the
Dhaka-bound lane of the highway at the location.
Local residents alleged that branches from the
median trees obstructed the billboard from the view of vehicles travelling
towards Chattogram and that the trees were cut to clear the line of sight.
According to local sources, a man identified as
Rubel was responsible for looking after the billboard and recently employed
workers to cut and remove the trees during the night. However, The Business
Standard could not reach him for comment.
Chauddagram Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shahadat
Hossain said the RHD had filed a case and that details would become clearer
after an investigation.
Repeated attempts to contact Golam Mostafa,
executive engineer of the RHD in Cumilla, were unsuccessful.
Several local residents, including Firoz Miah,
caretaker of the nearby Jorkanan bungalow, pedestrian Abul Miah and farmer
Suruj Ali, said some people had cut trees from both sides of the highway and
the median during the early hours of the morning.
They urged the RHD and the administration to
take stronger measures to protect roadside trees along the highway.
















