At least 2.000 acres of forest, efforts of 14 years of afforestation in the newly formed land in Char Bata. have been torched to clear it for settlement by some powerful quarters and their musclemen in Noakhali.

They used poor landless people as human shields to claim the forest lands. Gunmen kept vigil and even exchanged fire with forest guards several times since February.

To make their 'victory' clear to all. the gunmen also raised red flags to declare the areas under their occupation as 'no go' zones.

A beat office, the symbol of the Forest Department's presence at the island, have been ransacked and torched and finally abandoned. Dally Star Chief Photographer A K M Mohsin reported after a visit to the chars in the Meghna estuary recently.

He saw streaks of smoke still rising from the forests on March 22. But the presence of

gunmen deterred him from taking photographs.

Mohammad Abul Kalam. Deputy Commissioner of Noakhali. denied that such incidents took place.

"There had been some poor people who tried to settle there. But we drove them away with the help of police. .Some of them, however, still remain. They will be evicted soon”, he told The Daily Star last Wednesday evening.

Forest Department official Siddikur Rahman told The Daily Star that they have lodged a number of cases and police had arrested one person. But the powerful remain out of purview of the law, he complained.

The World Bank-aided afforestation project took off in 1984 to help accretion of the rising sand bars and shoals that dot the coasts at the Meghna estuary.

Keoras were primarily choosen to develop tne forest. The roots of the keora trees burrows deep into the soil, helping to consolidate the land.

At Bayar Char mouza under the Habibia range 9.000 acres of land was afforested at a cost of Tk 10 crore in 1984.

Despite forays by people and animal some survived. But the green became an eyesore to the powerful local politicians, their cronies, musclemen and landlords who specialise on grabbing other peoples land and the public land.

They had been clearing the forest for a long time. On February 9 it became too much when they hoisted red flags to demarcate their territory. Forest guards intervened but they had to backout under gunfire.

The ruffians pillaged and set on fire the local beat office at Bhuiyar Char, driving away its staff. The forest officials never dared to go back till date.

There had been several exchanges of fire between the forest guards and the foot soldiers of landlords of Ramgati in the recent past and they completed burning of at least 2.000 acres of forest. Forest Department officials said.

They said one Mir Khabir, Bacchu Chairman. Jasim Chairman and Azad Chairman are allegedly behind the occupation.

Although Forest Department filed cases with Sudharam thana, nothing except the arrest of one. had happened so far, forest officials said.