Govt to cancel Safari Park project in Lathitila's reserved forest
Dhaka Tribune
October 2, 2024
The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change has recommended
canceling the approval of the safari park project in the reserved forest of
Moulvibazar’s Lathitila.
A letter addressing this issue was submitted to the Planning Commission on
Wednesay.
The "Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park, Moulvibazar (Phase 1)" project
received conditional approval during the Ecnec meeting on November 9, 2023.
Following the Ecnec meeting's decision, a four-member committee was formed
on August 21, 2024 by the ministry to assess the project's impact on
biodiversity and provide recommendations.
The committee was chaired by former Chief Conservator of Forests Ishtiaq
Uddin Ahmed, with members including Dr. Mustafa Firoz, Professor of Zoology
at Jahangirnagar University; Farid Uddin Ahmed, former Executive Director
of Arannayk Foundation; and Imran Ahmed, Conservator of Forests for
Wildlife and Nature Conservation under the Forest Department.
The committee recommended canceling the project, stating in its report that
the Lathitila Forest is part of the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot and
serves as an elephant corridor. Constructing a safari park in this area
would negatively impact the forest ecosystem.
After considering the potential effects of the proposed safari park on the
forest’s biodiversity and giving importance to the opinions of local
stakeholders, the committee concluded that a safari park should not be
established in this natural forest. Thus, they recommended the project's
cancellation.
The Forest Department has been instructed to work on conserving the
degraded areas of the forest and its threatened biodiversity.
https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/360592/govt-to-cancel-safari-park-project-in-lathitila-s