Cutting trees in protected forests prohibited until 2030: Cabinet Secretary, Bangladesh

The cabinet has approved the proposal to maintain the restrictions imposed on the felling of trees in protected and natural forest areas till 2030 to protect the country’s biodiversity. This approval came out in the cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

After the meeting, Khandkar Anwarul Islam, Cabinet Secretary, Bangladesh, said in a briefing at the secretariat, “To protect the biodiversity, any tree cutting has been prohibited from the protected forest until 2030 to protect biodiversity. Trees from the social forest exclude from this prohibition.”

“Trees can be cut from the social forest. A social forest is like someone’s private roadside afforestation or a buffer zone before the main forest. It is joint forestry with local people.

In Sherpur, I saw Acacia trees growing in this buffer zone. Since these trees become suitable for cutting when they are 15 years old, this tree has to be cut after that timeframe.

The people who take care of these trees will get 70 percent of the total valuation, and the forest department will get 30 percent.

However, cutting trees from the Reserve Forest has been prohibited until 2030. If anyone does so, they will get punishment according to the forest law. The prohibition will continue from 2023 to 2030,” he added.

The Cabinet Secretary also said that the draft of the National Adaptation Plan (2023-2050) had been approved in the meeting.

A request had been made to Legislative Division to declare November 4 as ‘National Constitution Day, which later got approved.