Expelled BNP leader arrested in embankment tree-cutting case

The police arrested the expelled BNP upazila president, Zahidul Alam Jahangir, from the district town on charges of cutting government trees planted on the embankment in Mithamoin upazila of Kishoreganj to build a private road on Wednesday evening. The Kishoreganj District Superintendent of Police confirmed this information.

He was earlier temporarily expelled from the party after the allegations were proven.

According to locals, Jahangir cut down about 20 mahogany trees planted on the embankment built to prevent river erosion in the Kamalpur area of ​​Mithamoin upazila, mainly to reach his personal car home. The trees began to be cut down in phases starting from August 5 last year, and most recently, 10–12 trees were destroyed at once on February 21. The estimated market value of each tree is around Tk 20,000–25,000.

According to locals, these embankments and trees were a symbol of preventing river erosion. Former President Abdul Hamid planted the trees on his own initiative when he was a member of parliament. For a long time, the trees were protecting the dam and maintaining environmental balance. The destruction of these trees for personal gain has created anger in the area.

A notice signed by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Tuesday said that Jahangir's actions are against the party's policies, ideals and discipline on Tuesday. After the investigation found the allegations true, all party posts, including his primary membership, have been suspended. The notice described such actions as 'unjust and condemnable'.

Engineer Faizur Razzak, Mithamoin Upazila Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), filed a case with Mithamoin Police Station as the plaintiff on Tuesday.

The police action and BNP's strict organizational decision are expected to act as a warning to local leaders and activists.