Speakers at a discussion at Rajshahi University yesterday urged the
government to enact a new forest law to preserve the forest .
With the theme of the day “Think. Eat. Save” Institute of
Environmental Science (IES) of the university organised the programme
to mark the World Environment Day-2013.
The speakers expressed deep concern over a report of UN Food and
Agricultural Organisation (FAO) which stated that every year 1.3
billion tonnes of food is wasted which is equivalent to same amount
produced in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. Every 7 people in the
world go to bed hungry and more than 20,000 children under age of 5
die daily from hunger.
Demanding immediate new forest law they said “the old Act which was
promulgated for India in 1927, is not applicable anymore,”
“An entirely new Act is needed keeping in mind the needs and
challenges of urbanisation and global warming,” they continued.
The speakers also said many forest officers have to cut down trees and
sell the timber to pay for boats hired for official duties and cell
phone bills, as there are no government allowances for these expenses.
This plays an important role in deforestation in the country, they said.
Among others, RU treasurer Prof Sayen Uddin, agriculture faculty dean
Aminul Haque, IES director Prof Azizul Islam and Prof Shamsul Alam of
geography and environment science department addressed at the
programme.
Earlier, RU Geography Department and IES brought out a silent
procession on the campus marking the day.
(Our Correspondent)
