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RANGAMATI, Oct 24: The economic situation of the greater Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) is now in a bad state due to stalemate in CHT timber business for the last 10 months.
Timber trade is the source of income of the people of CHT region. About 90 per cent of total population, mostly indigenous, are directly or indirectly involved in this business.
Innumerable people, both tribal and non-tribal of the three hill districts of Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari are passing hard days losing their work.
On the other hand, price hike of essential commodities has gone beyond the buying capacity of the common people in this holy month of Ramadan causing great hardship to the middle class and low income groups.
Recently, the business leaders held a press conference at the local press club in protest against the conspiracy by vested quarters.
Meanwhile, the leaders of timber business of Rangamati hill district had sent a memorandum to the Prime Minister (PM) through the deputy commissioner (DC) demanding immediate resumption of CHT timber business.
The leaders also alleged that the Rangamati Forest Department (FDs) officials illegally realised TK 140 million (14 crore) from the Jote Malik (owners of garden) during issuing 'Jote Permit' on the condition of giving them (traders) timber through auctioning the seized logs.
But still the FDs officials neither returned the seized timber nor refunded the realised money to the timber traders.
The memo sent to the Prime Minister was jointly signed by the Rangamati timber trade leaders including Anwar Khan, Md Motiar Rahman Motin, Md Shahjahan, Abu Taher and Narayan Chandra Devnath.
In the memo the business leaders said that a total of 1086 'jote' permits were issued by the FDs officials during the fiscal 2004-2005 under the Forest Resources Transport Rules - 1973.
An inquiry committee seized a huge quantity of timber from different places and piled up those at different forest stations.
The FDs realised TK 140 million from the 'jote malik' in the name of selling the said seized timber to them through auction. But the Forest Department still remained silent on the issue the memo said.
The leaders have also alleged that a vested quarter has become desperate to gain interest by suspending the transportation of CHT timber and trying to destroy the industry.
By suspending transportation of timber in the region the quarter has created artificial crisis of timber across the country and is making money through importing timber from the neighbouring country.
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