***Allege it will give forest dept emperor like power over stakeholders; recommend adding protection of rights of ethnic minority people relevant to conservation, issue of maintaining biodiversity***

Criticising the proposed amendment of Forest Act 1927, rights campaigners yesterday said the act will make the Forest Department a "neo emperor of forest" and encourage its officials to commit crimes.

"It is the only administration whose duties and responsibilities are not specified in the revised act. They will turn in neo emperor of forests and instead of protection, more lands will be grabbed," said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela).

She was addressing a roundtable discussion on the government's initiative to amend the act, jointly organised by the Association for Land Reform and

Development (ALRD), Bela and Movement for Protection of Forest and Land Rights in CHTat the capital's Jatiya Press Club.

She said biodiversity, trees and ethnic minority people are not given importance rather any regions under the government's and forest department's control are defined as forest, which is administrative and not consistent with the concept of conservation.

She recommended incorporating natural elements, local habitats and their way of lives in the definition of forest.

She harshly criticised a section of the proposed act which states persons concerned will get 18 months time to raise objection against government's decision on setting up reserve forests. “Countries like India and Pakistan do not feel that necessary while amending their forest acts. It is an attempt to reduce the number of people living in forests," Rizwana said.

In preamble of the proposed act, Mongal Kumar Chakma, information and publicity secretary of Parbatya Chattagram Jano Sanghati Samity, suggested adding the protection of the traditional and customary rights of ethnic minority people relevant to the conservation and sustainable use of forests and biodiversity, otherwise their livelihood will face danger. He demanded annulling the proposed "other forest", "protected forest" and "reserve forest" concepts, which will create more complexities and curb locals' rights.

"We don't want the government to pass the act bypassing or without consulting stakeholders," said former information commissioner Sadeka Halim.

Member of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Forest Yasin Ali said he will discuss the matter with his colleagues.

Shamsul Huda, ALRD executive director, Goutom Dewan, president of Movement for Protection of Forest and Land Rights in CHT and Sanjeeb Drong, general secretary of Bangladesh Adivasi Forum, also spoke. Human Rights activist Khushi Kabir moderated the discussion.