Govt urged to stop expansion of reserve forest in Dighinala

THE United Peoples’ Democratic Front (UPDF) has urged the government to cancel a plan to expand reserve forests in Dighinala under Khagrachari district, saying it would displace thousands of Jumma people in the area.

In a statement issued to the media today, Ujjwal Smriti Chakma, chief organiser of UPDF Khagrachari district unit, said thousands of Jumma people will be displaced and rendered homeless, if the proposed 12,849 acres of land in six Mouzas are added to the existing reserve forests and put under the control of the Forest Department.

He labeled the plan a conspiracy to uproot the Jumma people from the area, and added that, “It will cause a humanitarian tragedy and have serious consequences on the economy and environment.”

Mr Chakma held the Forest Department responsible for depletion of forests in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, and said, “Experiences show that the more reserve forests have been created, the more the Jumma people have lost their traditional control over their land and forest and the more forests have been destroyed.”

The UPDF leader called upon all irrespective of party affiliation and ethnic identity to get united to fight against the government plot to displace the Jumma people by expansion of reserve forests in Dighinala.