Bangladesh Environment Lawyers Association (Bela) served a notice to the Cox's Bazar South Forest Division to protect the reserve forest in the district from encroachers.

According to the notice, a total of 487 people grabbed around 352 acres of land under Mithachari mauza in the Panerchari range and around 290 acres of land under Reserve Teknaf Mauza in the Shilkhali range of Cox's Bazar.

The illegal occupants constructed houses, shops and other structures and are doing farming and other activities on those lands, it said.

Due to the grabbing of the forest land, an adverse effect has fallen on the forest, wildlife and the environment and the valuable forest trees are being lost and the wildlife is becoming homeless, the notice added.

According to the information, the Forest Department has prepared a list of existing encroachers in the said mouzas and sent eviction notices, according to the notice.

At the same time, BELA urged to find the real culprits involved in the destruction of the natural forest and bring them to book.

They also urged to revive the forest in its natural form by compensation and afforestation.