The impact of forest clearance has extended beyond trees and wildlife, changing the way of life of people who depend on forests. They once collected food, fuel, fruit, timber and medicinal plants from the forests, but the decline in forest cover has narrowed their access to these resources. Consequently, many families have become increasingly dependent on agriculture, horticulture and agroforestry for their livelihoods. The number of wild animals has also declined.
Forest lands in Tangail under the Forest Department, including Madhupur, have been occupied and used for decades to cultivate various crops such as pineapples, bananas, papayas, ginger and turmeric. Houses, roads, marketplaces and other infrastructure have also been built on the occupied land. Despite the Forest Department taking initiatives to recover the encroached land, it has faced resistance from encroachers at various times.
The department has a total of 122,876.90 acres of forestland, according to Tangail Forest Department sources. Of this, 64,670.62 acres are reserved forestland, while 58,206.28 acres are acquired or assigned forestland. In total, 58,774.11 acres of forestland had been under illegal occupation. Although 22,267.98 acres have been recovered at different times, 36,506.13 acres remain under encroachment. Forest clearance caused by road construction and other activities has also resulted in habitat loss and food shortages, leaving wildlife facing an existential crisis.
Locals allege that large areas of forestland have been encroached on in the names of influential individuals or through proxy ownership, alongside allegations of encroachment in the name of social forestry. The Forest Department has launched drives to free the land from encroachment, but the operations have been halted at various times due to protests and pressure from influential groups. As demand for land has grown with the population, residential areas and farmland have also expanded into forestland. But there are allegations that influential groups, alongside poor local people, have occupied forestland on a large scale.
Professor Dr Md Younus Mia of the Department of Environmental Science and Resource Management (ESRM) at Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University told Bonik Barta, “In Bangladesh, not only has the area of forestland declined, but the quality of natural forests has also deteriorated significantly in many areas. Encroachment of forestland, expansion of agriculture and settlements, infrastructure development, illegal tree felling, overexploitation of resources, commercial plantations and the planting of exotic tree species and weak management are the main causes of forest destruction.”
He added: “Forests aren’t merely economic resources; they’re also closely linked to the culture, traditions, food habits, indigenous knowledge and social identity of local communities. As forests shrink, the continuity of this forest-based knowledge and way of life is also weakening. But agroforestry is a promising alternative. A study in Madhupur found that properly managed agroforestry can increase local people’s incomes while also serving as a habitat and movement corridor for birds and other animals.”
When contacted by phone, Tangail Forest Department Assistant Conservator of Forests Rana Deb said, “It would have been better if we could have spoken directly.” He later asked for questions to be sent via WhatsApp, but didn’t respond when contacted there. Attempts to contact Divisional Forest Officer Mohammad Nazmul Alam were also unsuccessful.