The environment, forest and climate change ministry reclaimed and reforested a total of 5,093 acres of forest land between August 2024 and June 2025.
A total of 830 illegal brick kilns were also demolished to check air pollution, said a press release issued by the ministry on Thursday.
The ministry issued the release to elaborate a year of initiatives taken under the leadership of interim government adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan to conserve forests, wildlife and biodiversity, and to strengthen environmental protection and climate resilience.
The interim government led by chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus assumed office on August 8, 2024, three days after the ouster of the authoritarian Awami League regime in a mass uprising.
The ministry release said that in August 2024-June 2025, 700 acres of forest land in Cox鈥檚 Bazar and 20 acres reserved for the Bangladesh Football Federation were reclaimed.
Additionally, 9,467 acres of forest land at Sonadia in Cox鈥檚 Bazar and 155.70 acres allocated to Jafar Alam Cadet College were recovered.
Through the Chunati Forest Restoration Project, efforts have begun to replace invasive Acacia auriculiformis (Akashmoni) with native forest species over 37,182 acres of land.
Similar initiatives are under way at Modhupur in Tangail and Sherpur, aiming to restore natural forest ecosystems and re-establish elephant corridors.
To mitigate human-wildlife conflict, 159 emergency response teams have been formed, the proposed Latitila Safari Park in Moulvibazar has been scrapped, and plans are under way to establish a sanctuary for captive elephants.
Wetlands, including Bil Joana and Bil Velas, in Rajshahi have been declared sanctuaries and 144 acres of land at Purbachal on the outskirts of Dhaka have been declared a special biodiversity area.
The Wildlife Crime Control Unit has conducted 293 operations, rescuing 5,684 animals in one year.
Plastic use and picnics have been banned in national parks, eco-parks and botanical gardens while a collaborative project with the textiles and jute ministry has been launched to promote eco-friendly jute bags.
Besides these, a national air quality management plan has been developed, 18 unauthorised lead factories have been shut down, Dhaka鈥檚 Savar-Ashulia area has been declared a degraded air shed, campaigns against unfit and outdated vehicles have been intensified and land records of hills from 16 districts are being collected and digitised.
With the funding from the Climate Change Trust Fund, 41 projects worth Tk聽351 crore have been approved.
The press release added that work was ongoing to finalise eight laws, rules and guidelines related to environment and forest protection.
