In the Chandranagar Kalabagan area of Chittagong, hill cutting has been taking place intermittently for almost a month. Similar activities occurred in the same area in 2023, leading to legal action. After a long pause, the hill cutting resumed, and on August 13, the Department of Environment discovered evidence of the ongoing activities during an inspection. Consequently, a case has been filed at Bayezid Police Station, naming four individuals as defendants.
During the Quota Reform Movement, neither the relevant departments nor the police paid attention to this issue, allowing local people to continue cutting hills indiscriminately. Despite court orders, hill cutting continues in at least eight areas of Chittagong Metropolitan City, with Bayezid and Akbar Shah areas being the most affected. Hill cutting is also ongoing in Cox’s Bazar and the three hill districts. Although signs marking hills in the city are supposed to be in place, this directive has not been fully implemented. While the authorities have attempted to curb hill cutting through fines and legal action, these measures have proven ineffective, with most environmental cases ending in financial penalties—a factor experts believe is contributing to the continuation of hill cutting.
The Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) has long been engaged in legal battles and awareness campaigns to prevent hill cutting. BELA’s Chittagong Coordinator, Monira Parveen, noted that hill cutting has recently resumed in various areas of Chittagong, including Akbar Shah, Pahartali, Bayezid, Jangal Salimpur, Jangal Latifpur, Khulshi, Lalkhan Bazar, and Askar Dighi. On-site visits to the Arefin Nagar area in Jangal Salimpur last Wednesday revealed ongoing hill cutting for road construction and land grabbing.
Hillu Biswas, Director of the Department of Environment in Chittagong, told Prothom Alo, “We have received reports of hill cutting in several areas, and two cases have already been filed. We are also taking action against others involved.” On August 13, a case was filed at Bayezid Police Station by the department’s technician, Md. Omar Faruk, against Syed Muhammad Rakibul Alam, SM Manzurul Alam, Ershadul Alam, and Md. Arif—the first three being brothers.
From 2011 to 2023, the Department of Environment conducted 560 operations against hill cutting in Chittagong, imposing fines amounting to 85 crore 2 lakh BDT. In 2023 alone, five cases have been filed regarding hill cutting in the Chittagong Metropolitan area, with 10 cases filed the previous year and 22 in 2022. The latest case was filed last Tuesday for hill cutting in the Chandranagar area.
In the Akbar Shah area, Awami League leader and ward councilor Zahurul Alam Jasim faces four cases related to hill cutting. The Cox’s Bazar area has seen the highest number of hill-cutting cases in Greater Chittagong, with 181 cases filed to date, 115 of which have had charges filed, while 66 are under investigation. In Chittagong District, Rangamati, and Khagrachari, a total of 60 cases have been filed, with 52 charges submitted. Additionally, 21 cases have been filed in Bandarban and 9 in Comilla.
In 2011, BELA filed a public interest litigation (Case No. 7616/2011) to stop hill cutting in the Chittagong Division’s five districts, including the Chittagong City Corporation. On March 19, 2012, the court ordered necessary actions to stop hill cutting in these districts. In another public interest litigation (Case No. 7883/2015), the court imposed a ban on hill cutting in certain areas under Akbar Shah Police Station in Chittagong.