Ecnec scraps Bangabandhu Safari Park project in Moulvibazar
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) has decided to cancel the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park project in Moulvibazar, prioritising the conservation of biodiversity in the Lathitila forest.
The decision was made during an Ecnec meeting held today at the Planning Commission head office in Dhaka's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus in the chair.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had earlier proposed implementing the project, titled Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park, Moulvibazar (1st Phase), through the Forest Department.
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The project received conditional approval during the Ecnec meeting on 9 November 2023, according to sources from the Planning Commission.
Following Ecnec's conditions, the ministry formed a committee to assess the potential impacts of the project on the forest, wildlife, and natural biodiversity of the proposed site in the Lathitila forest.
The committee's findings highlighted that Lathitila is a priority landscape for tiger surveys within the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot and serves as a transboundary elephant corridor.
The report further stated that establishing a safari park in the area would adversely affect the biodiversity of the entire forest.
Acting on the committee's recommendations, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change proposed cancelling the project's approval.
