MINTU DESHWARA

Miscreants have cut down 74 shade trees at Mirtinga Tea Garden in Kamalganj upazila of Moulvibazar, triggering concern among authorities, workers, and industry stakeholders over its potential impact on tea production.

Officials of the estate, operated under Deundi Tea Company Limited, said incidents of tree theft and destruction have increased in recent months, disrupting operations and raising fears about long-term sustainability.

According to garden authorities, three shade trees were stolen on April 2 and another on April 16, with losses estimated at around Tk 1.5 lakh. Despite reporting the incidents to police and taking initial measures, the situation worsened.

In the latest incident, around 11:00pm on April 22, miscreants cut down 71 newly planted acacia shade trees along both sides of the main road between sections 18 and 20 of the garden.

The perpetrators fled, leaving the felled trees behind. On-duty watchmen were questioned but failed to provide satisfactory explanations.

Authorities have filed a general diary with Kamalganj Police Station and urged law enforcement agencies to act swiftly.

Garden officials warned that continued theft and destruction could threaten the estate’s viability, noting its contribution to government revenue as part of Bangladesh’s export-oriented tea sector.

Leaders of the Bangladesh Tea Workers Union and the garden’s panchayat condemned the incident and demanded a fair investigation and exemplary punishment.

Union leader Dhana Bauri and Panchayat President Montu Almik stressed the need for urgent action to identify those responsible.

Mirtinga Tea Garden Deputy Manager Rezaul Hayat Khan (Emon) said workers and the bagan panchayat (garden council) have strongly protested the incident and are seeking justice. “The cutting down of shade trees must be stopped on an urgent basis to protect the tea industry,” he said.

Nurul Muhaimin Milton, president of a tea workers’ union unit in Moulvibazar, said shade trees regulate microclimatic conditions, protect tea bushes from excessive sunlight, reduce soil moisture loss, and enrich soil through leaf litter.

He warned that their sudden removal exposes plants to heat stress, reducing leaf quality and yield in the short term and potentially causing long-term productivity losses. “Such acts disrupt biodiversity, increase soil erosion, and weaken the overall ecological stability of the garden,” he added.