CHATTOGRAM, Aug 27: The Forest Department of Chattogram conducted a 6-hour raid on Monday recovering 55 acres of land in Sukhbilas village, Rangunia Upazila.
The land had been illegally occupied 16 years ago by Ershad Mahmud, the younger brother of former Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud.
The forest department conducted the operation Monday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, clearing illegal establishments of the area including restaurants and cattle farms.
According to officials, 50 acres of forest land in the hilly region of Sukhbilas village under the Khorushia Range had been unlawfully occupied.
A number of cow and goat sheds, three water reservoirs for fish farming and a picnic spot were established on the land.
Besides, the Dasmile area along Bandarban road had also been seized where a restaurant and a pond were built.
The eviction operation was conducted under the orders of Divisional Forest Officer of the Chattogram South Forest Division Abdullah Al Mamun and led by Assistant Conservator of Forest Maruf Hossain.
Officials from the Khorushia Range, Rangunia Range, and Chittagong City Range participated in the operation.
Abdullah Al Mamun said that family members of former Foreign Minister had been illegally occupying 220 acres of forest land for the last 16 years.
He said, "We have conducted a drive and evicted six structures housing cows and goats. The banks of the ponds were cut to drain out water. All illegal restaurant establishments along the Bandarban road were also destroyed."
The forest department plans to conduct afforestation in the cleared areas. He also mentioned that further eviction operations would be conducted soon on all other lands illegally occupied by the family members of Hasan Mahmud.
It may be mentioned that Ershad Mahmud along with his cadres attacked on students and teacher's procession on December 22 in 1991 causing the injury of several hundreds of students and teachers of Chittagong University.
Later, he joined Awami League when his brother became minister and occupied lands in Chattogram and Cox's Bazar.
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