Rights activists demand investigation, compensation, and community involvement, citing legal violations and threats to indigenous livelihoods and biodiversity.
The Forest Department has been accused of illegally destroying indigenous farmland and violating constitutional and human rights in the Alikadam upazila of Bandarban district.
On Sunday, (22 June 2025), a patrol team from the Lama Forest Range allegedly entered the traditional jhum farmland of Angla Mro, an indigenous Mro farmer from Ward 8 of Menthok Para in Nayapara Union, without his consent.
The team cut down his 1,200 bananas trees, 70 papaya trees, and other cultivated trees at five acres of land and planted forest department saplings in their place—destroying a vital source of livelihood for the farmer and his family.
“I have earned my livelihood by cultivating bananas, papayas, and other crops for generations. But now the Forest Department has destroyed everything without even informing me. I don’t know how I’ll feed my family,” said Angla Mro, a resident of Men Thok Para.
Yang Bo Mro echoed the concern, saying, “The Forest Department frequently carries out such operations and cuts down our trees without any prior notice.”
That area is part of a reserved forest under our jurisdiction,” said Mustafizur Rahman, Divisional Forest Officer of Lama, Bandarban. “We are working to expand forest cover, and to my knowledge, about 150 banana trees were cleared by forest staff. While we run gardening programmes, those are designated for other locations. This is one of the country’s oldest reserved forests, and planting crops there is not permitted. Forest officials are obligated to take action to protect it. The forest is for the benefit of the community, not for us—we’ll be posted elsewhere. This is about national and communal interest, not personal gain.”
A Broader ecological and ethical crisis
Biodiversity and ecosystem researcher Pavel Partha condemned the forest department’s actions, calling the move part of a broader pattern of ecological destruction. “Alikadam’s hills are rich in biodiversity and have long been protected by the Mro, Chak and other indigenous communities through their customary land practices.
But state projects and private interests repeatedly destroy these ecosystems through rubber plantations, commercial monocultures, resorts, and illegal constructions,” he said.
He further pointed out that while in Madhupur the government is working with indigenous communities to restore Sal forests; in Alikadam the forest department is undermining those very communities by destroying native fruit orchards and jhum lands.
Violation of land, legal and human Rights
This action, experts say, not only infringes on Mro’s traditional ownership rights but also constitutes a breach of multiple national and international legal frameworks. According to Article 42 of Bangladesh’s Constitution, every citizen has the right to property. Articles 31 and 32 protect citizens from being deprived of their livelihood or possessions without due legal process.
The Chittagong Hill Tracts Regulation of 1900 upholds the rights of indigenous communities over traditionally used lands. Moreover, the Forest Act of 1927 requires public notifications and hearings before declaring reserved forests and forbids unauthorized entry or destruction of private plantations.
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) further affirms that indigenous peoples cannot be relocated from their traditional lands without their “free, prior and informed consent.” Articles 10 and 26 of the declaration emphasize indigenous ownership of traditionally occupied lands and require states to recognize and protect these rights.
Call for justice and accountability
Civil society members, researchers and human rights defenders are calling for an immediate investigation into the incident. They demand that a joint committee—comprising the Forest Department, National Human Rights Commission, local administration, the Regional Council, civil society and indigenous representatives—visit the affected area and assess the damage.
They also urged the government to provide fair compensation to the affected Mro family and ensure the protection of their livelihood and land rights. Future afforestation efforts, they insist, must include local communities as equal partners in ecosystem management.
“This incident is not just about one family’s loss—it reflects a dangerous disregard for indigenous rights and environmental commitments,” said Partha. “The government must act urgently to restore justice and credibility, both nationally and internationally.”
The incident raises serious questions about double standards in forest governance and underscores the need for a rights-based, inclusive approach to conservation in Bangladesh.
