Natore's Uttara Gonobhaban trees felled illegally

The committee, which has been formed to investigate the felling of trees on Uttara Gonobhaban premises in Natore's Dighapatia, found that a large number of trees and branches had been cut down illegally.  

The five-member probe body, led by Additional District Magistrate of Natore Razzaqul Islam, visited the spot yesterday.

After visiting the spot, chief of the committee Razzaqul said ABM Abdullah, Natore Sadar upazila forest officer, earlier found that there were 582.30 cubic feet logs and timber inside the Uttara Gonobhaban compound.

Besides this, a good number of trees and branches were found yesterday to have been cut down and removed without permission from the district administration.

A report would be submitted to the deputy commissioner of Natore within three working days, mentioning who are responsible for felling the trees and how many trees and branches were cut down, Razzaqul, also the acting deputy commissioner of Natore, said while talking to local journalists.

Razzaqul added that they would implement all the decisions made by the Uttara Gonobhaban management committee within a short time.

Abdullah earlier said he valuated 230 cubic feet of dead branches of different trees for the tender. The probe committee listed all the felled trees, he said yesterday.       

Four others of the probe committee are: Additional Superintendent of Police in Natore Khairul Islam, Natore Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Jesmin Akter Banu, Nezarat Deputy Collector of Natore Aninda Mondal and Company Commander of Rab-5 in Natore Anwar Hossain.   

The Public Works Department floated a tender and gave a work order to cut branches of dead trees to a bidder for only Tk 18,400.

Although the tender was for cutting branches of dead trees, a large number of trees was cut down.

Uttara Gonobhaban, once the royal palace of the maharajas of Dighapatia in Natore, is now functioning as the provisional official residence of the head of government in the northern region.

Meanwhile, the Uttara Gonobhaban management committee on Wednesday drove out two caretakers and their families from the Uttara Gonobhaban as they had been living there for long illegally. Later, one of the caretaker and his family were allowed to stay there.

Aninda, also the member secretary of the Uttara Gonobhaban management committee, said they permitted caretaker Abul Kashem and his family to live on the Gonobhaban compound for five to seven more days on the request of local lawmaker Shafiqul Islam Shimul.