BSS-66 Forest Department’s Chattogram (S) division accuses Buddhist monk of grabbing forest land

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BSS-66

CONTROVERSY-BUDDHIST-FOREST

Forest Department’s Chattogram (S) division accuses Buddhist monk of grabbing forest land

CHATTOGRAM, July 28, 2020 (BSS)- The forest department’s Chattogram south division today issued a statement accusing a Buddhist monk of grabbing reserve forest land in the name of a monastery and spreading provocative propaganda at home and abroad using different media and social media to deviate the incident to a different course.

“On behalf of the Chattaogram South forest division, (we) strongly protest these propaganda and falsehood,” read a scanned copy of the statement send to BSS carrying a signature of the divisional forest officer.

It alleged that Buddhist monk Venerable Sharanankar Thero by now occupied 50 acres of land of forest in Ranguniya upazila of Chattogram and raised various structures including Buddha statues, arches, ponds and housesin the occupied land.

According to the statement the monk is now trying to occupy another 50 acres of forest land in the name of ‘Gyansharan Mahaaranya Buddhist Monastery’.

“As Venerable Sharanankar Thero was served notice to vacate the occupied land and debarred from constructing structures . . . he abused the forest employees and police in filthy language,” the statement said.

It simultaneously accused the monk of uprooting 3,000 saplings of different species and cut down another 76,600 kept for plantation in 2019-2020, destroyed three forest department signboards and set on fire 20,000 polls.

“The government incurred a loss of worth Taka 11,03,000 due to his activities,” the statement said adding that the situation prompted the forest division to lodge three police cases and three POR cases under forest laws.

It added: “This land grabber and his followers have been spreading misleading statements through various media and social media at different times to fulfill their vested interests at home and abroad.”

BSS/MAM/KS/AR/2220 HRS