Dhaka: The government has announced its decision to withdraw 88 forest-related cases against ethnic minorities and local residents in the Madhupur region of the Tangail Forest Division. This decision emerged from an inter-ministerial meeting held at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, chaired by Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the meeting addressed a total of 136 cases involving 503 individuals, comprising both ethnic people and locals residing in the Madhupur forest area. The government plans to withdraw the remaining 48 cases next year, contingent on certain conditions.
A significant outcome of the meeting was the establishment of a four-member committee at each of the 10 forest beats across four forest ranges in Madhupur. Each committee will be led by the respective beat officer and will include two representatives from ethnic minorities and two from local co-management committees. These committees aim to mitigate forest-related offenses and facilitate dispute resolution.
Furthermore, the Forest Department has been tasked with ensuring grazing rights, access to water, and land use rights for ethnic communities in the Madhupur forest area. The meeting included key figures such as Environment Secretary Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Additional Secretary Dr. Fahmida Khanom, and Chief Conservator of Forests Md Amir Hosain Chowdhury, among others.
The withdrawal decision aligns with recommendations from an eight-member committee led by the ministry's Additional Secretary (Development). The 136 cases involve 315 ethnic minority members and 188 local residents.