Felling endangered trees could attract Tk 1 lakh fine

In a move to safeguard its vanishing green heritage, Bangladesh is set to enact a landmark piece of environmental legislation, the Forest and Tree Conservation Ordinance, 2025, that will impose fines of up to Tk 1 lakh for cutting down endangered or ecologically vital trees. The draft ordinance, currently under public consultation by the Forest Department, introduces a three-tier classification system for trees across the country, clearly defining which can be felled, which require permission, and which are strictly off-limits under any circumstances. “This is a completely new law,” said Md Amir Hossain Chowdhury, Chief Conservator of Forests, in an exclusive interview with Jago News. “Until now, we had no unified legal framework that combined forest land management with tree...