Officially, the government remains committed to preserving our natural resources including forests, rivers, and hills. However, the corruption, mismanagement, and questionable policymaking that routinely stymie its efforts—thereby contributing to further environmental degradation—can be understood from a recent example. It involves, as per a report, the organisation of a so-called “tree fair” in Gosairhat, Shariatpur. Despite its name, the 15-day event features a variety of vendors selling snacks, cosmetics, toys, and rides, with only one stall, out of the 39, selling tree saplings. Even though the fair is being organised under the banner of the Gosairhat forest department and upazila administration, the former disclaimed any involvement, while the latter said it is assisting the department, highlighting a lack of coordination and seriousness among them.

One may write this off as trivial but it is not. It symbolises the broader trend of systemic neglect and mismanagement that has long jeopardised our environmental commitments. Much like the ill-distribution of stalls turning the fair into a commercial one, the perfunctory attitude and profit-first mentality of responsible government departments have severely affected various decisions and projects related to our environmental causes. A report published on the same day takes a look into some of those projects where—far from preserving our forests, hills, and rivers—officials prioritised their commercialisation by permitting or engaging in environmental degradation themselves.

A notable example is the planned safari park at the Lathitila reserved forest in Moulvibazar. Despite laws prohibiting construction and even unauthorised entry into protected forests, the forest department is reportedly cutting trees and hills there to build the park, betraying its misplaced priorities. Similarly, various government institutions have been implicated in the destruction of wetlands, forests, and hills. As per a study by the River and Delta Research Centre (RDRC), between March 2023 and April 2024, 25 government institutions cut down upwards of 11 lakh trees across the country—over seven lakhs of them within protected forests. Even more shockingly, the forest department alone accounted for over 417,000 of all felled trees. Such large-scale deforestation in the name of development not only degrades the environment but also sets a precedent for private entities to follow suit.

One doesn’t need to be reminded of the devastating effects of such activities, public or private. People are paying the price even as we write this. It is, therefore, imperative that the government reassesses its priorities and ensures that state officials, who are at the centre of any drive to uphold its environmental commitments, are properly attuned to them. The authorities also must ensure strict compliance with all environmental laws to prevent the depletion and degradation of natural resources.