Shawdesh Desk:

A forest official was crushed under the wheels of a mini truck during a drive against hill cutting at Harinmara in Cox’s Bazar early Sunday.

The deceased Sazzaduzzaman, 30, a native of Gazaria upazila of Munshiganj, was in-charge of Dochari forest beat of Ukhiya range.

According to the forest department, on information that a group of soil lifters was cutting hills in Harinmara area to steal soil, the forest officer went to the spot on a motorcycle.

However, the truck, also known as dumper, ran over him and fled the scene, leaving him dead on the spot.

Ukhiya Range officer Gazi Shafiul Alam said that police recovered the body and sent to Cox’s Bazar Sadar hospital for post-mortem examinations.

The divisional forest officer of the Cox’s Bazar South Forest Department, Md Sarwar Alam, who visited the spot, said that Sajjad gave his life to protect the forest.

Contacted, Md Shamim Hossain, officer-in-charge of Ukhiya police station, told New Age that no case was filed till 9:45pm. But a case was under process over the incident, he added.

Meanwhile, a group of citizens sent a letter to the chief conservator of forests on Sunday, demanding exemplary punishment for the killer through legal process immediately.

They also demanded proper compensation for the families of Sazzaduzzaman and Md Yusuf, another forest officer who was killed in 2020.

They have also requested taking necessary measures to combat the recurrence of such incidents in the protection of the country’s forests, including ensuring protection for the workers who are at risk of land robbers and taking initiatives to create safe workplaces.

Signatories to the statement included Sultana Kamal, founding president of the Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation, Khushi Kabir, coordinator of Nijera Kori, Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh, and Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association.