Crisis in timber industry
Nehal Adil | Saturday, 19 March 2011
Nehal Adil
Nowhere the devastating blow of the SIDR which struck nearly three years ago is as visible as in the timber sector. The Sundarbans is the main centre of our timber industry. It was nearly gone. Have we replanted the forest? The Prime Minister has done a recommendable job since she took the office in demanding climate compensation from the world. But how much have we got? I was told that the press did not properly report the damage. But the press did not have the resources to send reporters down the once dense forest. It was primarily the job of the government. At that time we had an un-elected military-supported government allegedly supported by the foreign powers. No, foreign armies would not come to help us plant trees in the Sundarbans. If foreign money comes, it will create inflation and worsen economy, I was told by an economist who watched the situation immediately after independence. We need to help ourselves since the SIDR. As I move around the country-side I find we have not fully recovered from the barbaric military aggression of 1971. The army burned down houses, trees and orchards. Villages after villages were devastated. How many of the millions who had left the country actually returned? Were they paid any compensation? I was told at that time we had not enough timber to rebuild their houses. One army rule followed another but houses were not rebuilt as we had not enough timber. Now our intellectuals loudly speak about the trial of the war criminals. Could we hang them to the nearest tree, I think all those who betrayed the spirit of Liberation War were war criminals. Had we enough trees to hang them? No, our forests have been devastated not only by SIDR but by ourselves. In the countryside where there is no gas, timber is used as fuel. There is no ban in using timber as fuel. Frequent power failure forces even the urban people to turn to timber to cook. That is a paradox. But many housewives resort to that. But there is alternative solar and wind energy. A housewife has put a solar panel on her roof and it generates solar energy for cooking. No it is not a joke even wind is used for generating energy. You can ask me how it is related to timber. No, the question is about saving timber not to be used as fuel. Timber is no more used for house building. The poor live in thatched cottages built with bamboos. The rich live in brick-built houses. But to make bricks you need to burn timber and that is a lot. Bangladesh does not produce enough coal. We are to import it and it pollutes our environment. The growth of a middle class is increasing the demand for furniture. We are not producing furniture but we are importing luxury furniture from abroad. I was told we even import furniture from Sweden. Someone told me if I could help him import some IKEA furniture from Sweden. But our utmost task should be to revive our own timber industry and for that we need to revive the Sundarbans and stop devastation of forest in the central highland by land grabbers. We should plant better quality trees and ban unauthorised felling of trees. The forest department should be reactivated but the popular participation is most important. Rebecca who made a film in the Sundarbans asked me where I shall get the people to plant trees in the Sundarbans. I could not answer. Nobody planted the great Sundarbans. It was self-planted by the nature. Would nature solve the timber crisis? The activists had no proper answer. But we must strive to save our forests ourselves rather than seek foreign money. Possibly that could generate enough money as not to beg foreign money.
Nowhere the devastating blow of the SIDR which struck nearly three years ago is as visible as in the timber sector. The Sundarbans is the main centre of our timber industry. It was nearly gone. Have we replanted the forest? The Prime Minister has done a recommendable job since she took the office in demanding climate compensation from the world. But how much have we got? I was told that the press did not properly report the damage. But the press did not have the resources to send reporters down the once dense forest. It was primarily the job of the government. At that time we had an un-elected military-supported government allegedly supported by the foreign powers. No, foreign armies would not come to help us plant trees in the Sundarbans. If foreign money comes, it will create inflation and worsen economy, I was told by an economist who watched the situation immediately after independence. We need to help ourselves since the SIDR. As I move around the country-side I find we have not fully recovered from the barbaric military aggression of 1971. The army burned down houses, trees and orchards. Villages after villages were devastated. How many of the millions who had left the country actually returned? Were they paid any compensation? I was told at that time we had not enough timber to rebuild their houses. One army rule followed another but houses were not rebuilt as we had not enough timber. Now our intellectuals loudly speak about the trial of the war criminals. Could we hang them to the nearest tree, I think all those who betrayed the spirit of Liberation War were war criminals. Had we enough trees to hang them? No, our forests have been devastated not only by SIDR but by ourselves. In the countryside where there is no gas, timber is used as fuel. There is no ban in using timber as fuel. Frequent power failure forces even the urban people to turn to timber to cook. That is a paradox. But many housewives resort to that. But there is alternative solar and wind energy. A housewife has put a solar panel on her roof and it generates solar energy for cooking. No it is not a joke even wind is used for generating energy. You can ask me how it is related to timber. No, the question is about saving timber not to be used as fuel. Timber is no more used for house building. The poor live in thatched cottages built with bamboos. The rich live in brick-built houses. But to make bricks you need to burn timber and that is a lot. Bangladesh does not produce enough coal. We are to import it and it pollutes our environment. The growth of a middle class is increasing the demand for furniture. We are not producing furniture but we are importing luxury furniture from abroad. I was told we even import furniture from Sweden. Someone told me if I could help him import some IKEA furniture from Sweden. But our utmost task should be to revive our own timber industry and for that we need to revive the Sundarbans and stop devastation of forest in the central highland by land grabbers. We should plant better quality trees and ban unauthorised felling of trees. The forest department should be reactivated but the popular participation is most important. Rebecca who made a film in the Sundarbans asked me where I shall get the people to plant trees in the Sundarbans. I could not answer. Nobody planted the great Sundarbans. It was self-planted by the nature. Would nature solve the timber crisis? The activists had no proper answer. But we must strive to save our forests ourselves rather than seek foreign money. Possibly that could generate enough money as not to beg foreign money.