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Supply crisis in timber business

FAIZUL KHAN TANIM
Some three lakh workers directly or indirectly involved in timber business in Dhaka are living in anxiety as the price hike of raw timber has put their future at risk.
Timber traders in Dhaka claimed that there has been almost no supply of wood during the last eight months. They pointed out that the supply of Teak, Chapalish, Garjon, Gamari and other types of timber from the Chittagong Hill Tracts and Sylhet has totally stopped.
"We are entirely dependent on timber from the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Every month we are incurring a loss of
around Tk 45,000 whereas we have to spend Tk 70,000 for paying the monthly rent, bills and wages. We had seven employees and four of them had to be laid off as we could not afford to keep them. We have not paid the rent for four months and if the crisis continues, we may have to close down.
"There are 20-25 timber houses around us and all are in pretty bad shape also," said Monirul Hossain Khan, proprietor of Modern Timber House and Sawmill in Mirpur
The traders alleged that a certain group of timber importers were trying to create an artificial crisis by not allowing the timber from thy Hill Tracts to reach other parts of the country. On the other
hand, they were reportedly making money out of importing timber from China, Malaysia, Myanmar and some other countries. But this is jeopardising the livelihood of thousands of tribal people also. Timber traders said people living in hill areas are furious with the situation and could start a protest movement soon.
Meanwhile, one furniture shop owner said that wood prices have almost doubled. One cft of Teakwood was earlier available at Tk 1400. Now it is Tk 2600. Timber traders from Mirpur said they buy the timber directly and one cft of Teak costs Tk 1500 which was previously Tk 1200, Garjon has gone up to Tk 1100 from Tk 700 and Chapalish now was
available at Tk 1200 although it was Tk 800 per cft not too long ago.
SKAwal, chairman of Timber Merchants & Sawmill Owner's Association for the Begum Rokeya Sarani and Cantonment zone narrated the whole process of timber arrivalin Dhaka.
"As trees are felled in the leased logging areas, buyers from Dhaka and other areas go there to buy timber from the log area owners. A transit pass from the forest department has to be availed in order to ship those timbers by rail wagons to Dhaka.
"On April 6, the environment and forest ministry in a meeting declared timber stockpiled at the Chittagong Hill Tracts against the logging area permit (known as Jot permit) as illegal. It was also decided at the meeting that if the illegal declared timber was to be shipped, a fine of Tk 50 per cft and royalty had to be paid. We started following that process and timber supply was regular for a month or so. But it has stopped again indefinitely."
Abbas Uddin, chairman of Dhaka Mohanagar Timber Merchant Welfare Federation informed that the High Court on July 5 said that the permit had been kept on hold and no timber could be brought to Dhaka until further notice.
"There are almost 1000 sawmills in Dhaka and each mill requires approximately 200 cft of timber which is not available now. Due to this crisis, cheap and poor quality timber from Jessore, Gaibandha, Dinajpur and other places are being brought to Dhaka. These timber used to cost between Tk 250 to 300 per cft in the past but now they are selling at Tk. 400 per cft," said a mill owner.
"Until the High Court issues a new order, our hands are tied. We have requested the Court to vacate the notice. We know that the situation is worsening. Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council Chairman Santu Larma had called me up and cautioned that if the things do not improve, there could be a protest movement in the Hill Tracts soon," said Minister for forest and environment Tariqul Islam.