In Bandarban, around five acres of hill area have been flattened to make way for a bottle factory.
Reportedly, an influential BNP leader and a few others from the ruling-party began cutting the hill areas. They were eventually stopped by local administration and the media.
However, it’s alleged that exploiting the election time occupation of the administration, the hill cutting has resumed.
Locals bemoan the act saying that despite landslides resulting from indiscriminate hill cutting, the illegal activity is going on.
Meanwhile, BNP leader, and director of the bottle factory, Jasim Uddin, says, “I am not involved with hill cutting; I am carrying out work to enhance the beauty of the place.”
We can have children’s park plus a bottle factory, he added.
Bandarban Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Noman Hossain Prince, says, “I was not aware of the hill cutting; let me take information and then we can take action.”