Displaced by the Myanmar government’s crackdown and facing an uncertain future, Rohingya Muslims taking shelter in Cox’s Bazar have now started destroying trees, planted under social forestry projects, to establish settlements. According to the Forest Department, the Rohingyas have already taken over some 100 decimals out of around 250 decimals of forest land in the Balukhali area under Ukhiya upazila. But we cannot do anything,” Md Ali Kabir, divisional forest officer of Cox’s Bazar (south forest zone), told the Dhaka Tribune on Wednesday. Ukhiya range Forest Officer Monirul Islam said: “Last month, we conducted an eviction drive in a forest near the Kutupalong Refugee Camp. Locals alleged that Palongkhali Union Parishad Member Md Absar had been assisting the refugees in grabbing the forest land and establishing settlements there.

Source: Dhaka Tribune March 03, 2017 16:07 UTC