Sonadia Island under severe existential threat

Sonadia Island, a natural reserve island in Maheshkhali upazila, 15 kilometres north-west of Cox's Bazar district, is under severe existential threat.

In the name of development of tourism, hotels and resorts are being built by cutting down the tamarisk trees in the mangrove forest and destroying other prominent trees.

Some opportunistic businessmen are destroying the environment and biodiversity of Sonadia Island in the name of ecotourism. Environmental and animal researchers believe that the existence of this sensitive island is at great risk.

Sonadia Island is a three-sided beach that rises in the Bay of Bengal -south off Maheshkhali. Gold falls here at the sunrise. Red crabs come out in groups in the sweet sun.

Various birds including the Gangchil-Jiriya live here. Migratory birds from Siberia, Eurasia, and Australia pass through Sonadia. The endangered spoon-billed sandpiper also rests on Sonadia Island.

It is learnt, the government backed away from the decision to build a deep sea port in Sonadia considering it to be a sensitive area.

However, the authorities want to redevelop Sonadia because it falls under the economic zone.

However, some unscrupulous tourism businessmen have already started building hotels and resources in Sonadia. The sandbanks have been demolished and leveled. The Keya-Nishinda forests have been burned, and the tamarisk trees in the mangrove forest are being cut down.

According to researchers, Sonadia Island is a sensitive area, and if excessive human pressure, construction of facilities, and destruction of mangrove forests continue, there is a strong possibility that the island might be submerged during monsoon and floods. This situation is causing extreme disaster for Sonadia.

Locals alleged that land grabbers are constructing several illegal structures, including three-story cottages, with the connivance of some forest department officials and help of the people concerned.

Locals believe that if these illegal structures are not demolished quickly, the tamarisk tree forests of Sonadia will soon be completely destroyed.

Investigation revealed that leaders of different political parties and public representatives are involved in the construction of these cottages.

One of the accused, on condition of anonymity, said that the pressure of tourists in Sonadia has increased due to the restrictions on travel to St. Martin.

"Considering the convenience of tourists, they have started building cottages with the verbal permission of the forest department. Locals said that not only people from Maheshkhali or Cox's Bazar, but also people from other districts of the country are involved in building resorts or cottages by occupying government land in Sonadia. And construction of these resorts or cottages and land grabbing are going on at a large scale by providing money through some political figures.

Environmentalists say that some unscrupulous government officials are taking advantage from land grabbers and selling Sonadia's forests.

Moreover, cutting of tamarisk trees and construction of structures will have a long-term impact on the environment and biodiversity of the region. The government has already declared Sonadia as an 'ecologically critical area'. In such a situation, it is a crime to build any kind of structure there.

According to the Forest Department, on May 5 this year, the settlement of 9466.93 acres of Khas land in Sonadia Island and adjacent areas in favour of the Bangladesh Economic Zone (BEZA) was canceled, but since there is no gazette yet, the area is considered an ECA area.

However, the land has not yet been vested in favour of the Forest Department. In this situation, until the forest land is returned as forest land, there is no opportunity to file a case against the accused under the law by destroying illegal cottages and mangrove forest in Sonadia Island and the adjacent tamarisk tree area and freeing the illegal occupants of illegal shrimp ponds and salt fields.

Currently, since the land is under Khas Khatian and ECA area, the Forest Department will provide full cooperation if the Department of Environment and the upazila administration conduct legal action and drive. If the said land is settled in favour of the Forest Department, there will be an opportunity to take legal action on behalf of the Forest Department.

Maheshkhali Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Hedayet Ullah said that some cottages or establishments have already been dismantled, and the rest will also be removed quickly.

In this regard, Gorokghata range officer of the Forest Department Ayub Ali said, "The government has not yet explained the location of Sonadia to the Forest Department. If the said land is allocated to the Forest Department, we will be able to work with full strength."

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