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Govt to Transfer 9,467 Acres in Sonadia from BEZA to Forest Dept
The government has decided to transfer 9,467 acres of land in Sonadia, Moheshkhali upazila of Cox's Bazar, from the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) to the Forest Department. The move aims to safeguard the area’s environment and biodiversity.
Previously allocated to BEZA for the development of an eco-tourism park, the land will now be managed by the Forest Department to address environmental concerns. The transfer process was initiated following the approval of the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change.
On Sunday, Shahin Akter Sumi, Director of Investment Development and Monitoring-1 at BEZA, requested Cox's Bazar’s Deputy Commissioner to begin the necessary steps for the land transfer.
Illegal activities, such as tree cutting and shrimp farming, had severely damaged the island’s ecosystem. In response, the government plans to restore the area’s environment through a series of measures. These include evicting illegal encroachers, removing barriers in canals to restore tidal flow, conserving sand dunes and beaches, reforesting with both mangrove and non-mangrove species like kaw, keya, and coconut, and rehabilitating degraded mangrove forests.
The 9,467-acre area will be designated as a protected zone with active public involvement to ensure biodiversity conservation, halt illegal activities, and reduce the impact of natural disasters.