Trees uprooted by storm looted

The two-hour storm on Sunday evening uprooted about 300 trees on the Rajshahi University (RU) campus, leaving it bare and shorn of its natural beauty. Many of the fallen trees have already been chopped to pieces and carried away by the locals.
Ever since the storm broke, students, teachers and employees living on the campus, except those residing in the Banghabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall and Motihar Hall, are doing without water and electricity. This situation was prevailing at RU till the filing of this report around 6pm on Wednesday. 
Motiur Rahman, a residential student of the Nawab Abdul Latif Hall, said: “We are living in the hall without food because canteen workers are unable to cook due the absence of electricity."
Rifat Jahan Bristry, a female student of Rahmatunnesa Hall, echoed the words of Rahman. 
Electric Power Supply officials posted on the campus said power supply would resume after all the fallen trees are removed from the electric lines. Besides, Bangladesh Chatra League (BCL) members, led by its RU president Golam Kibra, have been working to remove the trees from the roads.
Dr Golam Sadik, provost of Saheed Shamsuzzaha Hall, admitted that the students are suffering. He, however, said he cannot do much in this regard as cooking arrangements depend on electricity.
The storm destroyed about 300 trees, which were brought from the Chittagong Forest Research Institute (CFRI). Around 17 Eucalyptus trees in front of the RU central library building and around 97 trees in western and southern lanes have been uprooted. Besides, 20 Gagon Shirish on both sides of RU Paris Road and other parts of the campus have been destroyed and carried away by people from nearby areas. As a result, the campus now looks bare and deprived of its natural beauty.
University proctor Prof. Mojibul Haque Azad Khan said urgent efforts are on to make life normal on the campus. Investigations are being carried out to find out who looted the trees, he added.
According to RU agriculture project sources, the Forestry Extension Department of Rajshahi, as part of its urban forestry project, had planted close to 10,000 trees on approximately 50 acres of land on the eastern part of the campus in 1999. The number of these trees rose to almost 97,000, fetching RU the National Environment Award twice.
The trees have kept the temperature on the campus cooler by cooler 2 to 3 degrees Celsius than its surrounding areas.

Trees uprooted by storm looted

The two-hour storm on Sunday evening uprooted about 300 trees on the Rajshahi University (RU) campus, leaving it bare and shorn of its natural beauty. Many of the fallen trees have already been chopped to pieces and carried away by the locals. Ever since the storm broke, students, teachers and employees living on the campus, except those residing in the Banghabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall and Motihar Hall, are doing without water and electricity. This situation was prevailing at RU till the filing of this report around 6pm on Wednesday. Motiur Rahman, a residential student of the Nawab Abdul Latif Hall, said: We are living in the hall without food because canteen workers are unable to cook due the absence of electricity. Rifat Jahan Bristry, a female student of Rahmatunnesa Hall, echoed the words of Rahman. Electric Power Supply officials posted on the campus said power supply would resume after all the fallen trees are removed from the electric lines. Besides, Bangladesh Chatra League (BCL) members, led by its RU president Golam Kibra, have been working to remove the trees from the roads. Dr Golam Sadik, provost of Saheed Shamsuzzaha Hall, admitted that the students are suffering. He, however, said he cannot do much in this regard as cooking arrangements depend on electricity. The storm destroyed about 300 trees, which were brought from the Chittagong Forest Research Institute (CFRI). Around 17 Eucalyptus trees in front of the RU central library building and around 97 trees in western and southern lanes have been uprooted. Besides, 20 Gagon Shirish on both sides of RU Paris Road and other parts of the campus have been destroyed and carried away by people from nearby areas. As a result, the campus now looks bare and deprived of its natural beauty. University proctor Prof. Mojibul Haque Azad Khan said urgent efforts are on to make life normal on the campus. Investigations are being carried out to find out who looted the trees, he added. According to RU agriculture project sources, the Forestry Extension Department of Rajshahi, as part of its urban forestry project, had planted close to 10,000 trees on approximately 50 acres of land on the eastern part of the campus in 1999. The number of these trees rose to almost 97,000, fetching RU the National Environment Award twice. The trees have kept the temperature on the campus cooler by cooler 2 to 3 degrees Celsius than its surrounding areas.