Faruk Rahman, Satkhira: The Forest Department has arrested 11 honey bees with 1,100 kg of honey while they were returning from collecting honey during the ban on entry to the Sundarbans. On Friday (June 12) evening, members of the Tengrakhali Forest Patrol Outpost in the Satkhira Range arrested them along with two boats from the deep areas of the Sundarbans.
According to Forest Department sources, the arrested bees were collecting honey by entering the Sundarbans during the prohibited hours. About 1,100 kg of honey was seized from them during the raid. Later, action was taken against the arrested under the Forest Act and they were sent to the Satkhira court.
The arrested bees alleged that they entered the Sundarbans by making a deal in exchange for money through a broker of the Forest Department, Jalal Mollah. Although all types of entry to the Sundarbans have been banned since June 1, they went to the forest to collect honey on the basis of that deal. After failing to return after the stipulated time, they were arrested by the forest department members on their way back on June 12.
Some of the arrested Mouyals expressed their anger and said, “If the forest department arrests us even after paying money to go to the forest, then what is the value of that agreement? Now we have to count the jail and fine. We want a fair investigation into this.”
The arrested are, Md. Amjat Hossain (64), son of Bansar Uddin Gazi, Md. Kamrul Sheikh (45), son of Hakim Sheikh, Al-Amin (40), son of Matiar Rahman, Achan Habib (35), Md. Rabbani (35), Md. Hayat Ali Gazi (55), Md. Mobarak Sheikh (32), Md. Bablu Rahman (30), Md. Monirul Khan (38), Md. Abiar Mali (45) and Md. Kabirul Islam (45) of Sora village number 9 of Gabura union in Shyamnagar upazila.
Questions have been raised about how the Mouyals entered the Sundarbans without the forest department’s notice during the ban.
When asked to speak to the relevant forest officials of the Satkhira Range, no forest officials tried to avoid talking about it.
Although I tried to contact the Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) of the Western Forest Department, Md. Mashiur Rahman, on his mobile phone several times, he did not receive the call.
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