Sunday | 12 January 2025 | Reg No- 06
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Sunday | 12 January 2025 | Epaper

Tobacco farming going on unabated in forest, riverbank areas

Published : Sunday, 22 January, 2017 at 12:00 AM  Count : 427
Farhad Iqbal
COX'S BAZAR, Jan 21: Despite administrative drives and awareness programmes against tobacco, its cultivation is going on unabated in forest and riverbank areas of the district.
Even record quantity of land was brought under tobacco  cultivation in Cox's Bazar and Bandarban districts this year.
It was alleged that the tobacco companies are compelling the local farmers to cultivate this harmful crop. Besides, many public representatives are also giving covert support to the act.  
According to field sources, tobacco farming is going on in Bomu forest bit, Surajpur-Manikpur areas and reserved forest at Manikpur forest bit under Bomulichhari union in Chakaria upazila, Bomu Beelchhari, Kakara, Koiyarbeel and Boroitoly areas beside the Matamuhury River in Chiringa union, Eidgaon of Cox's Bazar Sadar, Kauarkoop, Haitupy and riverbanks of the Bankkhali River in Ramu upazila under Cox's Bazar district, and different unions under Lama and Alikadam upazilas in Bandarban district.    
Concerned sources said, tobacco was cultivated on around 18,000 acres of land in the two districts this year, of which, government khas lands and forests are also included.
More than 3,000 acres of land were brought under tobacco farming this year than the last year's. Meanwhile, the cultivation of other crops is decreasing day by day.
While visiting Garjania, Kocchopia and Ukhiarghona areas of Ramu upazila, it was found that tobacco was cultivated on vast tracts of land including government khas and fallow lands and on the banks of the Bankkhali River.
Locals said, only for more profit, the local farmers are cultivating tobacco in their lands. In this connection, the tobacco companies provide cash loan, quality seeds, fertilisers, pesticides and even advices to the farmers in field level.  
General Secretary of Cox's Bazar Bachao Andolan Advocate Ayasur Rahman said, "Despite knowing the fact that tobacco farming is harmful for arable lands, the growers cultivate it for more profit and over-enthusiasm of the tobacco companies. For providing fuel to the tobacco burning kilns, the standing trees in forests are being felled rapidly. As a result, the natural fertility of the lands is getting damaged, and it is making harmful impact on traditional crop cultivation."
A tobacco grower Ruhul Amin of Surajpur-Manikpur union in Chakaria upazila said, "The land owners in tobacco farming areas do not lease lands for cultivating paddy. A land owner gets Tk 10,000 for leasing 40 decimals of land for farming different crops in a year, but the same land is leased for Tk 25,000 for tobacco cultivation."
Divisional Forest Officer of Cox's Bazar North Forest Division Keramat Ali Mollik said, "Now the forest rangers are more careful than before; so there is no chance of felling trees illegally. But, we will continue our activities against felling of trees for use in tobacco production in the district."
Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Cox's Bazar Shariar said, "We are advising farmers regularly not to farm tobacco in their lands. Sometimes, we conduct drives and destroy tobacco. But, still the cultivation is going on in remote forest areas and on riverbanks."







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