Forest Department suspends 3 employees over Sundarbans fire

The Forest Department has suspended its three employees for their negligence of duties in connection with the recent fire incidents in the Sundarbans in Sharankhola upazila, reports UNB.

The suspended employees are M Nasir Uddin, in charge of Nangli forest camp of Dhansagar Station under the Chandpai range of the Sundarbans East Zone, and two boatmen of the same camp -- Polash Majumder and Mobarak Hossain.

The action was taken against them on April 19 after the allegation of their negligence during the Sundarbans fires was primarily proved against them, said divisional forest officer of the Sundarbans East Zone M Sahidul Islam on Saturday.

Meanwhile, a team of Sharankhola Police Station arrested a man, Saiful Hawlader, 22, son of Dulal Hawlader of Rajeshwar village , from east Rajapur of the upazila early Saturday for allegedly involvement in the fire incidents of the Sundarbans, said officer-in-charge of the police station M Shah Alam Miah.

The Chadpai Range of the Sundarbans witnesses three incidents of fire in three weeks.

A fire broke out in the Dhanshagor station’s Nangli forest camp area on March 27, another at Abdullah Shila of the range on April 18 and the third one on April 13.

In the last 14 years, there have been 20 fire incidents in Chandpai and Sharankhola ranges of the mangrove forest.