Some unscrupulous timber traders and brickfield owners have been plundering forest resources from Subarnachar and Hatiya of Noakhali.

A total of 207 illegal saw mills are operating in these areas, although saw mills are not allowed within 7 km of forest areas.

Sources said 32 saw mills in the reserved forest have been set up by flouting laws. These mills are destroying the environment and ecology, they added.

These saw mills are owned by influential people and political leaders, local people said. Forest resources are being looted everyday and sent to different parts of the country through various transports, they alleged.

The illegal activities are being carried out in connivance with dishonest forest department officials and law enforcers.

Preferring anonymity, some mill owners of Bandartila said that they are bribing forest officials to carry out their business.

Divisional forest officer (DFO) Md Tahidul Islam told The Independent that the forest department has prepared a list of the illegal saw mills and sent a letter to the Deparment of Environment for taking action against the illegal brickfield owners. “Necessary action will also be taken against the dishonest forest officials,” he added.