Combating Environmental Terrorism: Indomitable courage needed  

Grabbing the lands of poor people, destroying graveyard and filling water bodies for urbanization and industrialization pose severe threat to the nature and environment with endangering the humanity.  Bangladesh cannot be safe heaven of the environment killers who are responsible for widespread aggression on nature. The wailing and deep breath of environmentally affected people virtually proved lack of enforcement of environmental law over the years. This bitter reality inspired me to go for combating against the environment-killers after joining in the Department of Environment (DOE) on July, 2010.

I had the terrible experience of environmental terrorism as Director (enforcement) in the department. Dokhinkhan is close to Dhaka Airport where a desperate land grabbing happened by a realtor “Ashian City.’’ Huge number of local inhabitants lost their paternal lands by unlawful occupation. The innocent people passed dreadful sleepless nights over months for invasion on their habitats with disconnecting of water, electricity line by the merciless grabber. The large water body here turned into desert by sand filling. The people, even after losing properties and livelihood could not get access to the authorities concerned for getting redress. Even Rajuk surprisingly remained mum which’s protection was it’s mandate. Afterwards, the helpless people came to the Department of Environment seeking our intervention. Considering the matter as humanity, on 16th November 2011, we rushed to Dakkhinkhan area under enforcement drive. During the drive, hundreds of victims came to the spot and sought justice with wailing voice. Amina Begum was crying by losing 5 and half katha land, Mazeda Begum was rolling on soil for losing 8 katha lands. The graveyard of late Ramjan Ali was bulldozed. Upon reaching, we made the sand-filling bulldozers and trucks inoperative & seized and successfully organized the victims raising their voices against grabbing. In the face of severe pressure from different quarters, we made the illegal project dysfunctional and penalized the grabber half crore taka. The drive appeared to the helpless people as a drop of rain water to the thirsty bird. The victims overwhelmed with pleasure and emotion gripped me as if I was sent by the Almighty Allah as a Savior. After the drive, people reacted sharply on watching the news of our action in media particularly those who invested to buy plots in the project. The land grabber showed terrible attitude and appearance revealing that the drive caused Tk. 50 crore loss to him and actual damage of goodwill was quite immeasurable & irreparable.  Grabber’s reaction was, “If others could be purchased by power of money, why Munir Chowdhury could not be? With the noble mission of transforming the drive sustainable, we urged the environmental activists to come forward and sue in the honorable High Court. We provided necessary documents for strengthening the case. After long hearing, the Honorable High Court on last March, 2014, gave a historical verdict against this illegal project. Thus, the crucial drive for safeguarding human rights and environment attained historical value on getting right judgment in the court. The drive is still rooted in the hearts of the affected people.
Sylhet, a unique place of natural resources, circled with green, cloud colored hill and hillock. An environmental catastrophe happened at Molaitila of Khadimpara near Sylhet by a grabber with vicious pace. He excavated a large pond at the Malaitila hill top. He dreamt to develop a housing project after filling of the pond by rainfall that could collapse the hill and turning it into a plain land.  On getting the information on 21 June, 2011, at the soonest we raided the hill and arrested the grabber on the spot aiming to prevent further destruction of the hill. Local people were asked to take part for re-filling the hill. Instantly we lifted soil at around 70 feet height from the plain land with the help of 60/70 labors to repair the damaged hill. The operation continued for some hours with planting 100 seedlings at the damaged area. Immediately, the owner was fined taka 10 lac 68 thousand for destroying of the hill with compelling him to refill it by one month and bringing back it to previous natural shape. This drive was highly appreciated by the local people. Thus, the Molaitila hill was saved from further ruination. The honorable Minister for Environment and Forest took the credibility and raised it as a success story of the government at home and abroad.
Chittagong is blessed with extreme natural beauty, surrounded by hills, rivers and ocean. The topography and biodiversity had been changed and affected following unabated hill cutting in Anwara Upazilla for setting up of industries by Korean EPZ.  We conducted a sudden drive here in the early hours of 24 March 2012. Most worrying was that giant bulldozers were employed for damaging the hill of 40-70 feet height in terrible way like devastating earthquake. Observing our presence, the hill-cutters fled away from the spot. 10 heavy bulldozers on haphazard position were pulled one after another on the long trailers for seizing which was a challenging task of 6 hours. Then bulldozers were removed to long distance and handed over to local administration and police. The high officials of the company escaped from the spot.

I thankfully got the opportunity to conduct more than 1000 such drives against the environment-killers which were truly a holy war for sensitizing the people, upgrading governance in the Dept. of Environment, and giving momentum to environment activists and ensuring care and justice for the environmental victims. During my tenure, I tried to make DOE as a vibrant regulatory body to ensure compliance and strict adherence of Environment Law and Rules. I kept my eyes and ears round the clock open and vigilant all the time to prevent full blast pollution. The polluters had to suffer huge penalties for flouting environment rules which forced them to be compliant. My realization from the hard driving days that holding rallies, seminars or workshops alone would not bring any tangible change. Rather the essence is fighting against the polluters by working in the field diligently. The basic question is how serious we are? I urge humbly to all environmental bodies and activists to touch the fringe of the problems, take a hard look at the major problem, build public opinion against polluters, assist the Department of Environment and provide compensation & legal assistance to the victims. Livability in Bangladesh will be threatened if the greed of the polluters remains uncontrolled. The polluters selfishly maximizing their profits and gaining wealth by exploiting the natural resources and killing the environment. Fresh air for taking  breathe, pure water to meet thirst and arable land for cultivation have been gradually missing with jeopardizing the human health, habitation, agriculture, fisheries and in turn, the pollution threatens economy as a whole. Bangladesh already has lost Tk. 44,633 cr (USD 5.7 billion) in the 2012-13 fiscal years due to environmental degradation. So it requires indomitable courage, firm spirit and relentless efforts to save us from catastrophic environmental disaster. Time is running out to scale down environmental disaster for the sake of our future generation. Today, the 5th June, World Environment Day is a warning that time for action is now to save the country from disastrous consequences, not only speeches. Saving environment is saving the economy and humanity. Best wishes to our citizens and the nations of the planet who are celebrating this significant day.

Muhammad Munir Chowdhury
Former Director (Enforcement)
Department of Environment
Email: [email protected]

Combating Environmental Terrorism: Indomitable courage needed

Grabbing the lands of poor people, destroying graveyard and filling water bodies for urbanization and industrialization pose severe threat to the nature and environment with endangering the humanity. Bangladesh cannot be safe heaven of the environment killers who are responsible for widespread aggression on nature. The wailing and deep breath of environmentally affected people virtually proved lack of enforcement of environmental law over the years. This bitter reality inspired me to go for combating against the environment-killers after joining in the Department of Environment (DOE) on July, 2010. I had the terrible experience of environmental terrorism as Director (enforcement) in the department. Dokhinkhan is close to Dhaka Airport where a desperate land grabbing happened by a realtor Ashian City. Huge number of local inhabitants lost their paternal lands by unlawful occupation. The innocent people passed dreadful sleepless nights over months for invasion on their habitats with disconnecting of water, electricity line by the merciless grabber. The large water body here turned into desert by sand filling. The people, even after losing properties and livelihood could not get access to the authorities concerned for getting redress. Even Rajuk surprisingly remained mum whichs protection was its mandate. Afterwards, the helpless people came to the Department of Environment seeking our intervention. Considering the matter as humanity, on 16th November 2011, we rushed to Dakkhinkhan area under enforcement drive. During the drive, hundreds of victims came to the spot and sought justice with wailing voice. Amina Begum was crying by losing 5 and half katha land, Mazeda Begum was rolling on soil for losing 8 katha lands. The graveyard of late Ramjan Ali was bulldozed. Upon reaching, we made the sand-filling bulldozers and trucks inoperative seized and successfully organized the victims raising their voices against grabbing. In the face of severe pressure from different quarters, we made the illegal project dysfunctional and penalized the grabber half crore taka. The drive appeared to the helpless people as a drop of rain water to the thirsty bird. The victims overwhelmed with pleasure and emotion gripped me as if I was sent by the Almighty Allah as a Savior. After the drive, people reacted sharply on watching the news of our action in media particularly those who invested to buy plots in the project. The land grabber showed terrible attitude and appearance revealing that the drive caused Tk. 50 crore loss to him and actual damage of goodwill was quite immeasurable irreparable. Grabbers reaction was, If others could be purchased by power of money, why Munir Chowdhury could not be? With the noble mission of transforming the drive sustainable, we urged the environmental activists to come forward and sue in the honorable High Court. We provided necessary documents for strengthening the case. After long hearing, the Honorable High Court on last March, 2014, gave a historical verdict against this illegal project. Thus, the crucial drive for safeguarding human rights and environment attained historical value on getting right judgment in the court. The drive is still rooted in the hearts of the affected people. Sylhet, a unique place of natural resources, circled with green, cloud colored hill and hillock. An environmental catastrophe happened at Molaitila of Khadimpara near Sylhet by a grabber with vicious pace. He excavated a large pond at the Malaitila hill top. He dreamt to develop a housing project after filling of the pond by rainfall that could collapse the hill and turning it into a plain land. On getting the information on 21 June, 2011, at the soonest we raided the hill and arrested the grabber on the spot aiming to prevent further destruction of the hill. Local people were asked to take part for re-filling the hill. Instantly we lifted soil at around 70 feet height from the plain land with the help of 60/70 labors to repair the damaged hill. The operation continued for some hours with planting 100 seedlings at the damaged area. Immediately, the owner was fined taka 10 lac 68 thousand for destroying of the hill with compelling him to refill it by one month and bringing back it to previous natural shape. This drive was highly appreciated by the local people. Thus, the Molaitila hill was saved from further ruination. The honorable Minister for Environment and Forest took the credibility and raised it as a success story of the government at home and abroad. Chittagong is blessed with extreme natural beauty, surrounded by hills, rivers and ocean. The topography and biodiversity had been changed and affected following unabated hill cutting in Anwara Upazilla for setting up of industries by Korean EPZ. We conducted a sudden drive here in the early hours of 24 March 2012. Most worrying was that giant bulldozers were employed for damaging the hill of 40-70 feet height in terrible way like devastating earthquake. Observing our presence, the hill-cutters fled away from the spot. 10 heavy bulldozers on haphazard position were pulled one after another on the long trailers for seizing which was a challenging task of 6 hours. Then bulldozers were removed to long distance and handed over to local administration and police. The high officials of the company escaped from the spot. I thankfully got the opportunity to conduct more than 1000 such drives against the environment-killers which were truly a holy war for sensitizing the people, upgrading governance in the Dept. of Environment, and giving momentum to environment activists and ensuring care and justice for the environmental victims. During my tenure, I tried to make DOE as a vibrant regulatory body to ensure compliance and strict adherence of Environment Law and Rules. I kept my eyes and ears round the clock open and vigilant all the time to prevent full blast pollution. The polluters had to suffer huge penalties for flouting environment rules which forced them to be compliant. My realization from the hard driving days that holding rallies, seminars or workshops alone would not bring any tangible change. Rather the essence is fighting against the polluters by working in the field diligently. The basic question is how serious we are? I urge humbly to all environmental bodies and activists to touch the fringe of the problems, take a hard look at the major problem, build public opinion against polluters, assist the Department of Environment and provide compensation legal assistance to the victims. Livability in Bangladesh will be threatened if the greed of the polluters remains uncontrolled. The polluters selfishly maximizing their profits and gaining wealth by exploiting the natural resources and killing the environment. Fresh air for taking breathe, pure water to meet thirst and arable land for cultivation have been gradually missing with jeopardizing the human health, habitation, agriculture, fisheries and in turn, the pollution threatens economy as a whole. Bangladesh already has lost Tk. 44,633 cr (USD 5.7 billion) in the 2012-13 fiscal years due to environmental degradation. So it requires indomitable courage, firm spirit and relentless efforts to save us from catastrophic environmental disaster. Time is running out to scale down environmental disaster for the sake of our future generation. Today, the 5th June, World Environment Day is a warning that time for action is now to save the country from disastrous consequences, not only speeches. Saving environment is saving the economy and humanity. Best wishes to our citizens and the nations of the planet who are celebrating this significant day. Muhammad Munir Chowdhury Former Director (Enforcement) Department of Environment Email: [email protected]