55 acres of forest land illegally occupied by Hasan Mahmud’s brother recovered

In a 6-hour long raid, the forest department of Chattogram recovered 55 acres of land illegally occupied by Ershad Mahmud, the younger brother of former foreign minister Hasan Mahmud in Sukhbilas village, Rangunia Upazila yesterday (26 August). 

Ershad Mahmud occupied the land for nearly 16 years.

The forest department conducted the operation from 10am to 4pm, clearing the area of illegal establishments, including restaurants and cattle farms.

According to officials, 50 acres of forest land in the hilly region of Sukhbilas village under the Khorushia Range had been unlawfully occupied. Six cow sheds and goat sheds were constructed on this land, three water reservoirs were created for fish farming by erecting dams and a picnic spot was established on the land. 

Additionally, five more acres of land owned by the forest department in the Dasmile area along Bandarban road had been seized. A restaurant and a pond were built on this land.

The operation was conducted under the orders of Abdullah Al Mamun, divisional forest officer of the Chattogram south forest division, and led by assistant conservator of forest Maruf Hossain. 

Officials from the Khorushia Range, Rangunia Range, and Chattogram City Range participated in the operation.

Abdullah Al Mamun told The Business Standard that family members of former foreign minister Hasan Mahmud had been illegally occupying 220 acres of forest land for the last 16 years. 

“We have conducted a drive and evicted six structures housing cows and goats. The banks of the ponds were cut, and the water was drained out. All illegal restaurant establishments along the Bandarban road were also evicted”, he added.

He confirmed that the forest department plans to conduct afforestation in the cleared areas. He also mentioned that further eviction operations would be conducted soon on all other lands illegally occupied by the family members of Hasan Mahmud