Knowing Bangladesh

Forest and Forestry

Though not much fossil evidence is available, studies indicate that extensive forest under tropical range existed in the tertiary period in parts of Bangladesh. Glutaxylon, Dipterocarpoxylon, Cynometroxylon fossils, all from Miocene beds, discovered in adjacent areas have affinities with species found today in tropical conditions. A good amount of Angiosperm plant fossils have also been discovered from areas adjoining Bangladesh. The tertiary period was followed by a period of glaciation. Advances occurred during the Pleistocene period, starting from about a million years ago, and ending at 25000 BC. The advances were interrupted by interglacial periods, when the climate became less cold. This lowering of temperature eliminated most mammals and also helped in extinction of Tertiary and Siwalik flora.

In the proto-historic period, civilization flourished in the Sind and Punjab (dating 4000 BC to 5000 BC); people then were great users of timbers. No record, however, is available about the forests of Bengal for the period. There are evidence of a flourishing Dravidian civilization in 2000 BC. The forests had a great role to play in the development of this civilization. The early Aryans were pastoral people, interested in agriculture. They cleared forests in certain areas to settle down, and maintained all their industries in the sylvan surroundings of the forest. Vedas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and Puranas throw light on the forest and forestry of the subcontinent during those period, and their distribution and composition can be conjectured from the two literary contribution of the post-vedic period, viz Ramayana, and Mahabharata. Frequent references of Sal (Shorea robusta), Dhab (Anogeissus latefolia), Billa (Aegle marmelos), Kinsuka (Butea monosperma), etc have been made which are common species in Bangladesh forests. In the epics it is recorded that dense forests existed along the Ganges but it is difficult to ascertain from the description where the forest was located.

The next period to take into consideration is the period of Greek invasion and the Maurya Kingdom. Megasthenes described the period as one when ‘many huge mountains abounded in fruit trees and many vast plains of great fertility more or less beautiful but all alike intersected by multitudes of rivers’. Emperor Ashoka was a great lover of forests and wildlife and took steps to preserve them. hiuen-tsang visited India between 629-645 AD. His memoir gives extensive information on the distribution of forests at that time. He recorded deep forests in Sravasti, Kapilabastu, and nearby regions including Ramgram. From Ramgram ‘he went north-east through a great forest road being a narrow dangerous path with wild oxen and wild elephants, and robbers and hunters always in wait to kill travellers, and emerging from forests he reached the country of Krishnagara’. The great traveller crossed PUN-NA-FA-TAN or Pundrabardhana (Pabna according to Cunningham, and Rangpur according to Ferguson). He mentioned that Pundrabardhana was a low country with moist, prosperous, fertile soil and jackfruit trees. Then Hiuen-Tsang came to Samatata ie present Jessore, Dhaka and Faridpur districts, where the land was low, and the climate was moist and full of trees and wild animals.

During the Mughal period, incentives were given to reclaim forest areas for agriculture. Babar in his diaries noted that Bengal Suba had 24 Sirkars including 5 in Orissa. Sir JN Sirkar made a table showing an approximate equivalence between the 16 Sirkars of Bengal Suba in Akbar’s time and the Bengal districts of the last age of British rule.

Abul Fazal mentions presence of forests in Jannatabad, Khalifabad and Bazuha. In Khalifabad he mentions abundance of wild elephants; while in Bazuha thick long timbers suitable for masts. Jannatabad was grassy and full of wild buffaloes. The present sundarbans, according to the description, extended further north up to northern Nadia and northern Jessore, and as full of crocodiles and tigers.

The Mughal policy on forest was one of indifference. They used the forests mostly as game reserves for the purpose of sports. They were interested in trees from the gardening point of view, and also for avenue planting. In short, it may be said that they had an aesthetic and utilitarian outlook on plants, rather than any comprehensive policy on problems of forestry including its preservation, propagation, protection or improvement.

The end of the Mughal period was followed by the beginning of east india company and later the British rule.

Initially, ie in the 18th century up to the middle of the 19th century, the forests were subjected to exploitation on a gigantic scale for ship building and railway sleeper production. There was no real attempt at forest preservation. The first attempt to protect the forests in India was taken in the southern part of India. On 3rd August 1855, Lord Dalhousie, Governor General of India, issued a memorandum where for the first time he proclaimed a plan for forest conservancy for the whole of India. According to Stabbing it may be called the ‘Charter of the Indian Forests’. Brandis in 1856 was appointed as the Inspector General of Forests. A Forest Department was established during British Rule for the first time on 1st November, 1864.

Scientific Forest Management in India started under Brandis. He was assisted by Cleghora. In 1865 the Indian Forest Act was passed, and the Forest Service was organised in 1869. By 1870 the foundation of the Forest Department may be said to have been laid by Brandis. A regular forest service began to exist and definite progress in forestry started between 1871-1900. Forests were demarcated and in 1878 the Forest Act was revised (Act VII of 1878). Between 1871 and 1900, steps were taken to organise technical education and training of personnel to fill up the executive and controlling branches of the forest service. The first Forest School was opened in Dehradun, India in 1878. In 1906, lord curzon opened the Imperial Forest Research Institute at Dehradun.

In 1879, 4856 sq km (1875 sq miles) of Sundarbans were declared as Protected Forest and in 1893 Heinig prepared a working plan of the Sundarbans. In 1880 closure to shooting, hunting, and fishing was first applied. In 1867 Leeds joined as Conservator of Forests after the resignation of Anderson. In 1872 Schlich joined as Conservator of Forests. During his time the following 5 forest divisions were created: (i) Cooch Bihar Division- corresponding with the boundaries of Cooch Bihar Commissionership. (The Forest Officer was under a Conservator of Forests), (ii) Dacca Division (Sylhet and Cachar)- The Forest Officer was under the Conservator, (iii) Assam Division with the boundaries of Assam Commissionership.

 

Knowing Bangladesh

Forest and Forestry

Though not much fossil evidence is available, studies indicate that extensive forest under tropical range existed in the tertiary period in parts of Bangladesh. Glutaxylon, Dipterocarpoxylon, Cynometroxylon fossils, all from Miocene beds, discovered in adjacent areas have affinities with species found today in tropical conditions. A good amount of Angiosperm plant fossils have also been discovered from areas adjoining Bangladesh. The tertiary period was followed by a period of glaciation. Advances occurred during the Pleistocene period, starting from about a million years ago, and ending at 25000 BC. The advances were interrupted by interglacial periods, when the climate became less cold. This lowering of temperature eliminated most mammals and also helped in extinction of Tertiary and Siwalik flora. In the proto-historic period, civilization flourished in the Sind and Punjab (dating 4000 BC to 5000 BC); people then were great users of timbers. No record, however, is available about the forests of Bengal for the period. There are evidence of a flourishing Dravidian civilization in 2000 BC. The forests had a great role to play in the development of this civilization. The early Aryans were pastoral people, interested in agriculture. They cleared forests in certain areas to settle down, and maintained all their industries in the sylvan surroundings of the forest. Vedas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and Puranas throw light on the forest and forestry of the subcontinent during those period, and their distribution and composition can be conjectured from the two literary contribution of the post-vedic period, viz Ramayana, and Mahabharata. Frequent references of Sal (Shorea robusta), Dhab (Anogeissus latefolia), Billa (Aegle marmelos), Kinsuka (Butea monosperma), etc have been made which are common species in Bangladesh forests. In the epics it is recorded that dense forests existed along the Ganges but it is difficult to ascertain from the description where the forest was located. The next period to take into consideration is the period of Greek invasion and the Maurya Kingdom. Megasthenes described the period as one when many huge mountains abounded in fruit trees and many vast plains of great fertility more or less beautiful but all alike intersected by multitudes of rivers. Emperor Ashoka was a great lover of forests and wildlife and took steps to preserve them. hiuen-tsang visited India between 629-645 AD. His memoir gives extensive information on the distribution of forests at that time. He recorded deep forests in Sravasti, Kapilabastu, and nearby regions including Ramgram. From Ramgram he went north-east through a great forest road being a narrow dangerous path with wild oxen and wild elephants, and robbers and hunters always in wait to kill travellers, and emerging from forests he reached the country of Krishnagara. The great traveller crossed PUN-NA-FA-TAN or Pundrabardhana (Pabna according to Cunningham, and Rangpur according to Ferguson). He mentioned that Pundrabardhana was a low country with moist, prosperous, fertile soil and jackfruit trees. Then Hiuen-Tsang came to Samatata ie present Jessore, Dhaka and Faridpur districts, where the land was low, and the climate was moist and full of trees and wild animals. During the Mughal period, incentives were given to reclaim forest areas for agriculture. Babar in his diaries noted that Bengal Suba had 24 Sirkars including 5 in Orissa. Sir JN Sirkar made a table showing an approximate equivalence between the 16 Sirkars of Bengal Suba in Akbars time and the Bengal districts of the last age of British rule. Abul Fazal mentions presence of forests in Jannatabad, Khalifabad and Bazuha. In Khalifabad he mentions abundance of wild elephants; while in Bazuha thick long timbers suitable for masts. Jannatabad was grassy and full of wild buffaloes. The present sundarbans, according to the description, extended further north up to northern Nadia and northern Jessore, and as full of crocodiles and tigers. The Mughal policy on forest was one of indifference. They used the forests mostly as game reserves for the purpose of sports. They were interested in trees from the gardening point of view, and also for avenue planting. In short, it may be said that they had an aesthetic and utilitarian outlook on plants, rather than any comprehensive policy on problems of forestry including its preservation, propagation, protection or improvement. The end of the Mughal period was followed by the beginning of east india company and later the British rule. Initially, ie in the 18th century up to the middle of the 19th century, the forests were subjected to exploitation on a gigantic scale for ship building and railway sleeper production. There was no real attempt at forest preservation. The first attempt to protect the forests in India was taken in the southern part of India. On 3rd August 1855, Lord Dalhousie, Governor General of India, issued a memorandum where for the first time he proclaimed a plan for forest conservancy for the whole of India. According to Stabbing it may be called the Charter of the Indian Forests. Brandis in 1856 was appointed as the Inspector General of Forests. A Forest Department was established during British Rule for the first time on 1st November, 1864. Scientific Forest Management in India started under Brandis. He was assisted by Cleghora. In 1865 the Indian Forest Act was passed, and the Forest Service was organised in 1869. By 1870 the foundation of the Forest Department may be said to have been laid by Brandis. A regular forest service began to exist and definite progress in forestry started between 1871-1900. Forests were demarcated and in 1878 the Forest Act was revised (Act VII of 1878). Between 1871 and 1900, steps were taken to organise technical education and training of personnel to fill up the executive and controlling branches of the forest service. The first Forest School was opened in Dehradun, India in 1878. In 1906, lord curzon opened the Imperial Forest Research Institute at Dehradun. In 1879, 4856 sq km (1875 sq miles) of Sundarbans were declared as Protected Forest and in 1893 Heinig prepared a working plan of the Sundarbans. In 1880 closure to shooting, hunting, and fishing was first applied. In 1867 Leeds joined as Conservator of Forests after the resignation of Anderson. In 1872 Schlich joined as Conservator of Forests. During his time the following 5 forest divisions were created: (i) Cooch Bihar Division- corresponding with the boundaries of Cooch Bihar Commissionership. (The Forest Officer was under a Conservator of Forests), (ii) Dacca Division (Sylhet and Cachar)- The Forest Officer was under the Conservator, (iii) Assam Division with the boundaries of Assam Commissionership.