The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council in a meeting on Monday scrapped the proposed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park project in Moulvibazar on the grounds that its implementation would harm biodiversity of the reserved forest there.聽聽聽聽
Presided over by chief adviser Muhamamd Yunus, the ECNEC meeting at the Planning Commission dropped the project following a proposal by the ministry of forest, environment and climate change.
On condition of assessing the potential impact on聽 the biodiversity of the forest in that area, an ECNEC meeting in November 2023 approved the project for implementation on some 5,631 acres of reserved forest at Lathitila reserved forest and Juri upazila at a cost of Tk 364.11 crore.
A four鈥搈ember committee led by former chief conservator of forests Ishtiaq Uddin Ahmed found that implementation of the project would adversely impact the forest, home to trans-boundary elephants and other wild animals.
Briefing reporters planning adviser Wahiuddin Mahmud said that every country preserves forest to maintain ecological balance.
He wondered how the plan to establish the safari park was taken in a reserved forest.
This was the third safari park project taken by the now ousted AwamI League regime.
Dulahazara Safari Park in Cox鈥檚 Bazar has been in operation since 2001 and was expanded between 2019 and 2022.
The Gazipur Safari Park, formerly known as Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park, was inaugurated in 2013.
The ECNEC, however, approved 10 projects involving Tk 1,974.30 crore.
The approval was given at the meeting held at the NEC Conference Room in the Planning Commission with chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus in chair.
The approved projects are: Construction of River Ports in Chilmari Area (Ramna, Jorgach, Rajibpur, Roumari, Nayarhat) (first revised); Ashuganj-Palash Sabuj project; Expansion of Sustainable Agricultural Technology in Comilla Region project; Cutting of Economically Lost Rubber Trees, Re-Gardening and Modernisation of Rubber Processing; Procurement and Installation of 60 MMSCFD Capacity Process Plant for Bhola North Gas Field; Drilling of Rashidpur-11 Well (Exploration Well); 2D Seismic Survey over Exploration Block 7 and 9; Establishment of 60 Daycare Centres of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs; Rehabilitation and Quality Improvement of Level Crossing Gates of Eastern Zone of
Bangladesh Railway (4th Revised); and Rehabilitation and Quality Improvement of Level Crossing Gates of Western Zone of Bangladesh Railway (3rd Revised).