Dhaka: Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan today announced that Bangladesh is advancing towards technology-driven forest monitoring to combat illegal logging and resource trafficking. ‘Satellite imagery, drone technology, and advanced data systems will soon be engaged to strengthen surveillance of the country’s forests,’ she stated while presiding over a meeting focused on the online monitoring of the Rema-Kalenga reserved forest at the ministry’s conference room.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Rizwana, who also serves as Adviser to the Ministry of Water Resources, elaborated that satellite images from 2015, 2020, and 2025 of the Rema-Kalenga, Satchhari, and Lathitila reserved forests will be analyzed with the aid of the Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO) to track changes in forest areas over time. Additionally, high-resolution images will be procured from the Ministry of Land, and support from the Survey of Bangladesh will be sought for deploying high-capacity drones.
The Adviser mentioned that the Forest Department will soon start surveying and numbering ‘mother trees’ within the Rema-Kalenga reserved forest. This task will be managed by trained staff under the SUFAL project. Rizwana further added that mother tree identification efforts will eventually be expanded across all forest areas in the country with support from divisional forest officers.
Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser in charge of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, highlighted that challenges faced by the Forest Department in implementing technology-based monitoring will be identified and resolved with assistance from relevant government agencies. He also mentioned that experts will be engaged to execute the initiative.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Shamima Begum, Joint Secretary (Forest); Md. Amir Hossain Chowdhury, Chief Conservator of Forests; Md. Rakibul Hasan Mukul, Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests; along with senior officials from the Ministry, the Forest Department, and the ICT Division.