To make space for new administrative and academic buildings, authorities of Rajshahi University of Engineering Technology (Ruet) have felled around 50 trees recently, most of which are over half a century old.
This was done without taking mandatory approval from the Forest Department, divisional forest officer Ahmed Niamur Rahman told The Daily Star. "The Ruet authorities have not even informed the forest department about the tree-felling," he said.
Talking to The Daily Star, environmentalists said the felling of these old trees, including litchi, mahogany, and koroi -- all of which grew inside the campus since the university's inception in 1964 -- will leave a bad impact on the area's ecosystem.
During a visit to the campus yesterday, this correspondent saw labourers felling tree one after another. Till yesterday, the felling of at least 15 Krishnachura and Minjiri trees were almost complete.
Contacted, Ruet registrar Prof Md Selim Hossain said the project is being supervised by the offices of planning and development, and the superintending engineer of Ruet.
He said the campus has not undertaken any development works since the 1980s, but recently the government approved nearly Tk 600 crore worth of development projects for Ruet.
The felled trees will give way to ten multi-storied buildings, with the site in front of the Civil Engineering Faculty housing the administrative building.
Contacted, both superintending engineer Amit Roy Chowdhury and planning and development affairs director Zaglul Sadat refused to state anything on the matter.
Meanwhile, the university authorities were also found to have sold the felled trees at a lower than market rates.
Abdus Samad, a local timber trader, said he estimates each of them to go for Tk 50,000.
However, the campus authorities sold all the 15 felled trees for only Tk 1.27 lakh, this correspondent found.
Md Jalal Uddin, senior assistant director of security in the campus, said the trees were sold off to Ruet employee Golam Mostafa, following proper procurement rules.
A tree, almost half a century old, is being cut down to make room for new administrative and academic buildings on the Rajshahi University campus. The authorities have already felled almost 50 trees, most of which are very old. The photo was taken yesterday. PHOTO: STAR
It was Golam Mostafa who recruited labourers to fell the trees.
Meanwhile, Ruet registrar Prof Selim said the university has been planting around 1,000 trees on the campus in the last one year to compensate for the felled trees.
However, experts said this stands for little.
Contacted, Prof AHM Mahbubur Rahman of Rajshahi University's Department of Botany said, "Planting new trees does not compensate for the felling of old trees," as it takes time for a new tree to fulfil the function of a much older one.
"Ruet and RU campuses are proud to have these trees. Other than providing oxygen for us, they play critical roles in the area's ecosystem," he said.
Mahbub Tunku, general secretary of Poribesh Andolon Oikya Parishad, said they have been noticing a "mad rush" for tree-felling in Rajshahi for development activities.
"We're not sure whether we need development of this kind, but we're sure we need these old trees," he said, adding that the authorities should plan development activities without harming the environment.
Development not at cost of environment: Demo against tree felling at Ruet
Paribesh Andolon Oikya Parishad today held a human chain in front of Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, protesting the felling of 50-year-old trees.
Almost 50 environmental activists participated in the programme around 12:30pm.
"We all want development, but not at the cost of environment. It is necessary to take consent of those for whom development is taking place," Nazmul Hossain Raju, member secretary of the organisation, said at the programme.
The mayor of Rajshahi, members of parliament, senior journalists, and eminent citizens, including those concerned about the environment, should also be consulted before making outline of such development, Nazmul Hasan also opined.
"Then we will not have to see such destructive development," he said.
Speaking at the human chain, Tanvir Apu, a travel enthusiast, said that Ruet is not such a small place that it is necessary to cut down old trees indiscriminately to make space for a few buildings. There are many more places where buildings can be built.
AHM Mahbubur Rahman, professor of Botany of Rajshahi University said, "It is not possible to compensate for cutting down such old trees by planting new ones."
The government has recently approved Tk 600 crore for the development project of Ruet. Under the project, ten 10-storey buildings will be built, for which a total of 50 trees will be cut down. Fifteen have already been felled. However, the forest department said it did not know anything about the matter.
Ruet Registrar Professor Selim Hossain said, "Like everyone else, we also care about the environment of Rajshahi."
However, this development project aims to solve the crisis of housing and classrooms of Ruet students.
"Most of the buildings that will be constructed under this project do not require any felling of trees. However, we have to cut down some trees for a few buildings," he added.
The authorities have also planted around a thousand trees on campus during the past one year to compensate. If necessary, one thousand more trees will be planted, he added.
Ruet suspends cutting down of trees as project director fails to show forest dept’s permission
The authorities of Rajshahi University of Engineering Technology (Ruet) suspended the activities of felling trees on the campus today.
Ruet also found the authority of development project implementation was felling trees without necessary permission from the forest department.
The project director of development projects has been asked to submit necessary documents to the Ruet authority in three days by which they decided to cut down the trees.
The latest development came following a report published in The Daily Star and movement of local people, according to officials.
"We didn't form any committee to investigate the matter as everything is happening before our eyes," Ruet Registrar Md Selim Hossain told The Daily Star.
He said top officials of Ruet called the project director Amit Roy Chowdhury to the vice-chancellor's office for some queries.
"He was asked to show the necessary permission for felling the trees, but he could not," the registrar said.
Project Director Amit only presented a copy seeking permission of the Department of Environment dated March 15, 2020 but not the copy of its permission.
He also failed to provide a copy of evaluation report of the trees' values by the forest department, he said.
"Under these circumstances, we decided to stop felling trees," the registrar said, adding, "Most of the trees have already been felled by this time…there is no need to cut down any more trees."
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