DHAKA, Jan 7, 2026 (BSS) - The government has promulgated a new ordinance imposing stringent financial penalties to curb forest land encroachment and safeguard the country’s ecological balance. This ordinance shall be called the “Ordinance, 2026 for Regulating the Use of Forest Land for Non-Forest Purposes, Preventing Encroachment of Forest Land, Ensuring Proper Conservation of Forests and Forest Land, Preventing the Reduction of Forest Land, and Providing for Tree Conservation.”It has been ordered to implement the ordinance immediately. Emphasizing the importance of protecting the environment, it also stated that no natural forest land can now be used for non-forest purposes. In addition, the Forest Department has been given special powers to determine forest boundaries, conduct technology-based monitoring and evict encroachers. In addition, the Forest Department has been instructed to ensure that the traditional and customary forest rights of small ethnic groups in the Chattogram Hill Tracts are not violated.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha January 07, 2026 12:34 UTC