A criminal case has been filed regarding the illegal felling of approximately 12 to 20 mahogany trees, planted to prevent river erosion in the Kamalpur area of Mithamain Upazila, Kishoreganj.
Following the incident, the BNP Central Committee has taken stern disciplinary action against a local leader, suspending him from all party positions.
On Tuesday, February 24, Mithamain Upazila Engineer Fayzur Razzak filed the case as the complainant at Mithamain Police Station. The case identifies a local individual, Angur Mia, as the primary accused.
Simultaneously, the BNP central committee suspended Jahidul Alam Jahangir, President of Mithamain Upazila BNP, stripping him of his primary membership and all organizational posts. In a press release signed by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, the party stated that allegations against Jahangir for cutting trees on a public embankment for personal gain had been proven.
The statement further noted that Jahangir had the trees removed to ease vehicular access to his residencean act described as illegal, unethical, and a direct violation of party discipline and ideology.
However, Jahangir denied the allegations, claiming the land and trees were not government property. He argued that the embankment was neither state-owned nor acquired, and individuals had merely cut trees from their private land.
Upazila Engineer Fayzur Razzak stated that initial inquiries pointed to Angur Mia, who reportedly transported the timber to a sawmill. When questioned why a ‘theft’ case was filed for an incident that occurred in broad daylight, Razzak mentioned he followed procedure and expects the police investigation to clarify the details.
Officer-in-Charge of Mithamain Police Station, Md. Liaqat Ali, confirmed that an investigation is currently underway.
Local sources revealed that the plantation initiative was originally launched during the tenure of former President Md. Abdul Hamid when he served as a Member of Parliament, aiming to combat river erosion. The trees have since played a vital role in environmental protection.
Residents, speaking on condition of anonymity, alleged that tree felling began gradually after August 5 to facilitate the movement of Jahangir’s private vehicles. On February 21, around 10 to 12 trees were cut down at once, drawing media attention.
The estimated market value of each tree is between Tk 20,000 and Tk 25,000. Despite local grievances, residents claimed they were hesitant to speak out earlier due to the influential status of the accused.
Md. Mizanur Rahman Shaheen, Kishoreganj Corresponden