Forest officials in Cox’s Bazar seized illegal sand and timber in coordinated raids in Ukhia, fining offenders and launching cases to curb forest crime and protect fragile reserved ecosystems.
Forest authorities in southeastern Bangladesh have stepped up operations against illegal resource extraction, seizing sand and timber in a series of coordinated drives in the Ukhia upazila region.
Officials from the Cox’s Bazar South Forest Division, in collaboration with the local administration, intercepted a truck carrying illegally extracted sand in the Goyalmara area under the Thaingkhali Beat. The operation was based on confidential intelligence and culminated in a mobile court led by the Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Ukhia, which fined the sand owner Tk 50,000 under the Balumahal and Soil Management Act 2013.
“The extraction of sand from protected areas is a serious threat to our environment,” said Dr Mollah Rejaul Karim, Conservator of Forest, Chattogram Circle. “We are committed to protecting these forests and enforcing the law.”
Later that evening, forest officials launched another raid near Rohingya Camp 20 in Chaderkhola, a remote part of the reserved forest under Thaingkhali Beat. About 20 cubic feet of round timber of mixed species, suspected to have been illegally collected, was seized. Around 25 people, including forest personnel and local residents, took part in the operation.
Legal proceedings are underway under the Forest Act 1927 and authorities confirmed that a formal case will be filed against those responsible for illegal sand extraction and logging.
Officials said the drives are part of ongoing efforts to curb forest crime and safeguard fragile ecosystems in a region under increasing pressure from illegal resource extraction and expanding settlements.
