Another 45 acres of forest land occupied by Hasan Mahmud's brother recovered

The Forest Department has recovered an additional 45 acres of forest land from Ershad Mahmud, the younger brother of former foreign minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, in Rangunia upazila of Chattogram.

The operation to free the land from illegal occupation took place over two days, on Tuesday and Wednesday, in the Dudhpuria and Sukhbilas areas of Padua Union. 

This recent action brings the total recovered land to 100 acres over the last three days, according to Khurushia Range Officer Mohammad Ashraful Islam.

He told The Business Standard that Ershad Mahmud had been unlawfully occupying and exploiting the land for the past 16 years using the influence of his elder brother Hasan Mahmud. Despite efforts to list the encroached land and issue eviction notices, the process was stalled due to the former minister's influence. 

However, following the government change on 5 August, the Forest Department has managed to recover the land in a series of operations.

In the Sukhbilas area, 15 acres of land with two ponds used for fish farming were also recovered. Photo: TBS

The operation to recover the land was carried out under the overall guidance of Abdullah Al Mamun, the divisional forest officer of the Chattogram South Forest Division, and led by Assistant Forest Conservator Maruf Hossain.

In the Dudhpuria beat, 30 acres of land that had been used for growing oranges and cashew nuts, as well as a large fish farming project with dug ponds, was cleared. In the Sukhbilas area, 15 acres of land with two ponds used for fish farming were also recovered.

During the eviction, these installations were removed, and the pond water was drained. The recovered land will be reforested, according to the Forest Department.

The department has also indicated that other areas of forest land under Ershad Mahmud's control will be recovered gradually.