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AL leader sets up big brick field inside reserve forest

A Correspondent, Cox's Bazar
A local Awami League (AL) leader has set up a huge brickfield inside Fashiakhali Reserve Forest in Chakoria upazila of Cox's Bazar district.
Gias Uddin Chowdhury, convenor of Chakoria upazila unit of AL, is now preparing to burn bricks there although Brick Burning Act bars setting up brickfield within three kilometres of a reserve forest or human habitation, said forest officials.
If brick burning starts in the area, it will do immense harm to forest resources and cause environmental degradation, they said.
Forest department sources said
Gias Uddin Chowdhury started building the brickfield in the area adjacent to Agorbagan in the reserve forest of Uchitar Beel at Fashiakhali Range of Cox's Bazar North Forest Division on August 13.
Businessman Liakat Ali Sawdagor, an alleged grabber of forestland in Ali Kadam upazila in Bandarban, has gone into partnership with Gias in setting up the brickfield.
Confirming the matter, Range Officer Mahmud Kabir of Fashiakhali Forest department said influential people are destroying forest resources at Fashiakhali.
"It is difficult for us to protect the huge forest resources with our limited
manpower," he said.
After a spot visit, Fashiakhali Forest Beat Officer Azharul Haque sent a report to higher authorities about two months ago but no administrative action has been taken yet.
"Gias Uddin and his three to four brothers, who lead a gang of criminals, are felling trees every day and smuggling those out. They also attacked the local forest beat office twice as a case was filed against the influential leader's men," Azharul Haque said.
"No permission has been taken from departments concerned including the Directorate of Environment for setting up the brickfield," Divisional Forest Officer of Cox's Bazar Abul
Monsursaid.
When contacted, Gias Uddin Chowdhury admitted to setting up brickfield at Agorbagan inside the reserved forest.
He, however, said, "Although the brickfield is in the hills, it is on my paddy field and land owned by a mosque and others."
He claimed that no hill of the forest department was being cut for constructing the brick kiln and there have been no trees on the hills for the last two years.
Gias said he had submitted an application to the department concerned for a licence to build the brickfield and it is under process now.