Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin on Sunday said the targets of sustainable development goals (SDGs) will not be achieved unless illegal felling of forest trees is stopped in the country.
"The international targets will not be met unless illegal cutting of forest trees is stopped," he said while speaking as the chief guest at a function organised at Forest Department on the occasion of the closing and prize-giving ceremony on National Tree Fair 2022.
Illegal cutting of trees must be stopped completely by 2030 aiming to meet the goal of 'becoming a suitable country in forestation and greenery', he said, adding that Bangladesh has 14.2 per cent of forest areas of the total area of the country.
"In order to achieve the goal of afforestation in meeting the SDG targets, forest trees cannot be cut until 2030," he said, calling for an end to cutting hills and encroaching rivers.
Chief Conservator of Forest Department Md Amir Hossain Chowdhury chaired the event while Deputy Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Habibun Nahar and its Secretary Farhina Ahmed addressed the event, among others.
More than 1.63 million saplings were sold at the National Tree Fair organized at a field in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. Tree fairs are also being organised in all divisions and districts of the country and several upazilas.
Tree plantation can help achieve the SDG target of increasing the country's forest cover to 16 per cent and the country's tree cover to 25 per cent by 2030, the minister said.
From fiscal year 2009-2010 to FY 2020-21, some 159 million saplings have been distributed and planted in the country.
At the same time, dividend has been distributed among 141,238 beneficiaries involved in social forestry. In the last three years, 4,729 hectares of forestland has been freed from encroachment and afforested by Forest Department, the official data showed.
The minister also distributed the "Prime Minister's National Award for Plantation 2019 and 2020" and dividend cheques to six beneficiaries of social forestry, selected stall owners and winners of Essay and Painting Competition.
This year saplings worth Tk 124.23 million were sold at the National Tree Fair.
nsrafsanju@gmail.com
