A legal case has been initiated after an altercation occurred between forest guards and illegal loggers in the hills of Kalenga Reserve Forest located in Chunarughat upazila of Habiganj. The case was filed by Kalenga Range Bit Officer Abdullah Al Amin at Chunarughat Police Station, listing 10 named individuals and 40 to 50 unidentified persons as the suspects, as per Officer-in-Charge Shafiqul Islam.
The incident transpired between 2:30 am and 3:00 am on December 11, with both sides engaging in gunfire at the Nishchintapur hills of Kalenga Reserve Forest. The case report indicates that a total of 34 rounds were discharged during the 30-minute confrontation.
According to the Forest Department’s account, a group of timber thieves was caught in the act of felling teak trees on the Nishchintapur hills around 2:30 am. Upon receiving the tip-off, three forest guards led by Abdullah Al Amin proceeded to the location where they were confronted by the poachers. In an act of self-defense, the forest guards resorted to firing shots, prompting the poachers to retaliate.
Kalenga Range Officer Abdul Khalek disclosed that during the altercation, the forest guards discharged 14 rounds, while the poachers fired 20 rounds. With the situation escalating, the forest guards retreated, and the poachers absconded upon the arrival of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel after being alerted.
After the clash, the forest guards confiscated 57 timber pieces of various tree species from the scene, including 12 teak and eight akashmani logs. OC Shafiqul mentioned that efforts are being made to apprehend the suspects subsequent to the case filing, with Inspector (Investigation) Mohammad Al Amin tasked with probing the matter.
Habiganj Assistant Conservator of Forests Md Joynal Abedin verified the incident, stating that a group of 50 to 60 forest intruders had trespassed into the forest, causing unrest by firing warning shots due to the limited security presence. An investigation is currently in progress, he added.
The protected 1,800-acre forest is home to a diverse range of tree species, prominently including teak.