Cutting, uprooting 175 trees for road safety!

Police today Thursday a man for cutting and uprooting flowering trees on a road divider and footpath of a road in the Kashiadanga area of Rajshahi City Corporation.

On Wednesday, some people cut off at least 125 trees leaving the stumps, and uprooted around 50 more flowering trees of different species there.

The incident occurred between 10.30am and 11.30am on an area stretching 500 meters on the bypass road from Sayergachha to Kashiadanga intersection.

The arrestee Naim Islam, 25, of the Haldarpara area of the city, claimed that they cut the trees as those were obstructing the drivers' view, especially on the bends of the road causing accidents.

The trees were of Karabi, musanda, big rangan, and mini rangan flower varieties, said Syed Mahmud Ul Islam, environment development officer of Rajshahi City Corporation.

"Most of the trees were bearing flowers. It was sad to see those cut off," Mahmud said adding that he filed a complaint with Kashiadanga police station in this regard.

Rajshahi City Corporation mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton visited the area Wednesday afternoon and asked locals to remain alert.

He also directed the police to find out the culprits.

Naim Islam was arrested from near his home at 1.30 a.m., said Md Moniruzzaman, OC of Kashiadanga police station.

"We arrested him after eye-witnesses confirmed his involvement in the incident," he said.

During police interrogation, Naim told the police that recently a pedestrian named Ratan Ali of Charkhuta area was killed in a road accident on the Kashiadanga road.

The trees of this section of road led to the accident as the driver couldn't see him past the trees on the bend of the road, said the OC Md Moniruzzaman quoting Naim as saying.

Naim also told the police that they only wanted to trim the trees, but due to inexperience, they botched up the job.

"We're investing into the incident to find out if they had ulterior motives," the OC said.

The gardening of the road dividers and footpaths in the city has turned into one of the major attractions of the city and has drawn attention from people all over the country.

Some other cities including Dhaka took up the city's beautification idea and implemented them.