Photo: Collected
According to the service rules, if an exception occurs in joining the new workplace within the stipulated time after the transfer order is issued, the authorities can take any kind of punitive action against the concerned employee, including disciplinary action. But even though the transfer order has expired, the Bandarban Forest Department's Sadar Range Officer has been accused of violating the order instead of joining the new job.
At the same time, the issue of the organization's divisional forest officer not releasing the range officer as per the transfer order has also come to light. In addition, there have been allegations of forest guards from multiple ranges being illegally deployed in the headquarters range for long periods of time. However, those concerned said that the supervision of all district-level transfer and appointment-related matters is under the control of the Chittagong Conservator of Forests Office.
Sources said that the final decision on the transfer of four range officers was taken at a meeting held on the 20th of last month of the committee on recommendations for the transfer and appointment of officers and employees of the Chittagong region, formed under the Forest Department's Office Order No. 55/P. As per the decision, Chittagong Forest Conservator Mollah Rezaul Karim issued the transfer order on the same day.
According to the order issued, Cox's Bazar North Forest Division Forester Md. Zakir Hossain was transferred to Chittagong North Forest Division, and Lama Forest Division Forester Md. Naimul Islam was transferred to Pulpwood Plantation Division, Bandarban, Forester Md. Monisur Rahman of Cox's Bazar South Forest Division has been transferred to Bandarban Forest Division and Forester Sultan Mahmud Hawlader of Bandarban Forest Division has been transferred to Cox's Bazar South Forest Division. The order further states that the transferred and appointed employees must be granted exemption (to be granted by the concerned divisional forest officials) by the 5th of the current month. Otherwise, will be deemed to have been directly exempted by the next day, i.e. March 6.
The source further said that in this reality, the transfer order issued expired on the 5th. However, Sultan Mahmud Howlader, the range officer of the Sadar Range of the Bandarban Forest Division, is still in his previous position.
He is also accused of aiding and abetting the smuggling of timber from former IGP Benazir Ahmed's leasehold permit, despite a court ban. He has also been given the responsibility of marking the vertical lines of two orchard trees recently approved by the district administration for the purpose of holding permits. It is also against the rules to give such a responsibility to a transferred range officer. However, despite repeated requests to have the marking done, the timber merchant has not agreed, so the marking has not yet been possible.
On the other hand, the forest guard of Sekadu Range, Md. Nasirul Alam, has been assigned additional duties in the Sadar Range, contrary to the policy. He was previously given a stand-release in connection with a women's scandal while serving in the Tongkabati Range. Meanwhile, Lama Forest Department Forester Md. Naimul Islam has joined the Pulpwood Plantation Department Bandarban office as per the order, sources said.
It was not possible to get the opinions of those concerned as there was no response to the cellphone call regarding the complaint.
When asked, the Forest Department's Bandarban Divisional Forest Officer, Md. Abdur Rahman, said that the Sadar Range Officer was not released due to the lack of a replacement officer. Stating that other matters will be looked into by the concerned authorities, he told The Daily Messenger that whoever is in charge of the range will mark the trees as per the rules. The amount of wood that will be allowed will depend on the number of trees in the garden.
Messenger/Maungting/JRTarek
