Chattogram’s forests are rich in extraordinary diversity, with hills, forests, rivers and wildlife. The forest division comprising Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban has around 850,000 acres of forestland, nearly 600,000 acres of which are reserved forests. The national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in the region are home to thousands of rare and endangered species of plants, birds, reptiles, mammals and amphibians.

This natural diversity is also driving the development of one of the country’s largest ecotourism destinations. Hill forests, wildlife, waterfalls, rivers, the sea and diverse landscapes are among the region’s major tourist attractions. But these forests, with their enormous potential, are gradually losing both land and biodiversity.

The latest updated data from the Chattogram Forest Department show that around 55,123 acres of forestland in the Chattogram forest region are currently under illegal occupation, which is shrinking wildlife habitats and disrupting the natural balance. Recovering the encroached forestland is therefore not only a challenge for the Forest Department but also raises concerns about the future of the region’s environment, biodiversity and ecotourism.

Forest researchers say Chattogram’s forests are losing their distinct character for various reasons, including encroachment. Indiscriminate tree felling, expansion of agriculture in the hills, and the use of forestland for infrastructure development are steadily shrinking wildlife habitats. Rare and native plant species are declining. The region’s diverse biodiversity, including critically endangered wildlife, is consequently facing growing threats.

The total forestland in Chattogram is 370,091 acres, of which 220,578 acres are reserved forests, according to data from the office of the Chattogram Conservator of Forests, while in total, 33,620 acres of forestland in the district have been encroached upon. In Cox’s Bazar, the two forest divisions have a combined 211,854 acres of forestland, including 161,296 acres of reserved forests, whereas the total amount of encroached forestland there stands at 19,862 acres.

Meanwhile, the three forest divisions under Bandarban and Lama have a combined 272,027 acres of forestland, of which 221,435 acres are reserved forests. A total of 1,602 acres of forestland have been encroached on. Botanical gardens and ecoparks also cover 1,996 acres of forestland, all of which is reserved.

This means that of the total 855,968 acres of forestland in the Chattogram region, 605,305 acres, or 70.72 percent, are reserved forests. Apart from reserved forests, another 110,707 acres, or 12.94 percent, are protected forests.

Across 71 ranges and 170 forest beats under the forest divisions of the Chattogram forest region, 1,184 people are currently employed against 2,284 sanctioned posts, including conservators of forests, deputy conservators of forests, assistant conservators of forests, forest rangers, deputy forest rangers, foresters and forest guards. There are 1,100 vacant posts. The most serious shortage is among forest guards: only 572 are responsible for protecting the region’s 855,968 acres of forestland, meaning each forest guard is responsible for guarding an average of 1,497 acres of forestland, which is particularly striking. Although 802 posts have been sanctioned for this important position, 230 remain vacant.

Several species of wildlife found in national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and ecotourism sites across the Chattogram region have now been classified as critically endangered. The populations of many of these species have declined. Notable examples include the Bengal fox, sloth bear, fishing cat, capped langur, hoolock gibbon, Malayan sun bear, barking deer, pangolin, otter, king cobra, Burmese python, common krait, yellow tortoise, elongated tortoise, Indian flapshell turtle, Asian softshell turtle, Ganges river dolphin, slow loris and sambar deer.

The elephants, meanwhile, found in the Chattogram region are known globally as Asian elephants. According to the IUCN Red List, the Asian elephant is classified as critically endangered in Bangladesh. The latest IUCN data, from 2016, found a total of 268 elephants in the country. But as elephants move between areas, it was not possible to determine how many were present in specific locations.

Chattogram Regional Forest Conservator Mihir Kumar Dey told Bonik Barta, “Around 55,123 acres of forestland in the three districts of the Chattogram region remain under illegal occupation. But around 83.66 percent of the total forestland is classified as reserved or protected.”

He said: “Compared with forests in other parts of the country, the forestland in the Chattogram region is highly important from Bangladesh’s socioeconomic perspective. In particular, various reserved forests in the Chattogram region are home to rare or extinct species of trees, shrubs, bamboo and wildlife. Hazarikhil Wildlife Sanctuary, Medhakachhapia, Sangu-Matamuhuri Reserved Forest, Dhoapalong-Himchhari National Park, Jahajpura-Shilkhali and various other sanctuaries are helping preserve the country’s biodiversity and natural environment. So it is essential to protect the forests in this region.”