DoE fines BPC Tk 9.6 lakh for illegal hill cutting in Chattogram

The Department of Environment (DoE) has fined Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) Tk 9.6 lakh for illegally cutting a hill in Chattogram’s Jamalkhan area.

The penalty was imposed today following a hearing at the DoE’s Chattogram Metropolitan office. The order was issued by Sonia Sultana, director of the department.

According to DoE officials, an investigation team visited the site on February 22 following allegations of hill cutting at a location known as “Joy Pahar.”

During the inspection, officials found evidence that approximately 9,600 cubic feet of hill soil had been removed.

Md Muktadir Hasan, assistant director of the DoE’s Chattogram Metropolitan office, said BPC was constructing a rest house on the hill and had removed soil to build a retaining wall at its slope.

After the evidence was established, BPC officials were summoned for a hearing. Two representatives of the agency attended and admitted to the hill cutting, Muktadir added.

Earlier, BPC had faced allegations of cutting the base of the same hill to construct a boundary wall for an office building.

However, at that time, due to classification complexities, no punitive action was taken.