Offshore Sonadia remains a reforested forestland in a reversal of the Hasina administration's decision allocating 9,467 acres of the island to BEZA for establishing an ecotourism park.
With policy redirection following the regime change through the July-August 2024 mass uprising, the interim government has now taken initiative to transfer the land on the bay island to forest department for its reforestation.
Shahin Akter Sumi, Director of BEZA, requested the Deputy Commissioner of Cox's Bazar to take necessary steps to this effect.
This initiative has been undertaken by the environment ministry, according to the ministry announcement made Monday.
The previous decision allocating the land, with the majority being mangrove forest, sparked off public outcry amid growing concerns about "biodiversity destruction".
Earlier, the High Court last year halted the previous government's decision allocating the ecologically critical area on Sonadia Island in Cox's Bazar to Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA).
"Illegal activities such as logging and shrimp farming on the allocated land have caused severe damage to the island's environment and biodiversity," says one official concerned.
In the light of this situation, the decision has been made to transfer the allocated land to the Forest Department.
Various measures will be taken to restore the environment of the 9467-acre forest area, as stated by the ministry.
The initiatives include eviction of illegal encroachments, removal of barriers at the mouths and branches of canals to facilitate tidal-water flow, restoration of sand dunes and beach conservation, reforestation with various mangrove and non-mangrove species such as kaw, keya, nishinda, coconut, palm, and gotivanga along connecting roads, and rehabilitation of degraded mangrove forests.
The 9467-acre forest area will also be declared a protected area with public participation.
"This will ensure biodiversity conservation, halt illegal activities, and bring positive changes in tackling natural disasters," says the ministry.
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