Trees planted under the Prime Minister's tree-planting programme at Shikarpur in Burichang upazila, Cumilla, have allegedly been destroyed. The trees were planted along about a kilometre on both sides of the road from Shikarpur towards Barair village.

Miscreants killed a number of the betel nut saplings with chemical pesticide, and local resident Md Golam Sarwar has filed a complaint with Burichang police station.

Talking to local people on the spot on Friday, 28 August, Jagonews24 learned that the narrow road from Shikarpur towards Barair was repaired and widened to 14 feet seven months ago by Md Golam Sarwar, a local philanthropist, at his own expense, making it usable for people from several villages. Recently, as part of the Prime Minister's tree-planting programme, he planted betel nut saplings received from the government along at least a kilometre on both sides of the road. People have been employed to tend and look after the saplings.

Last Sunday, several people poured chemical pesticide on a number of the betel nut saplings. The slowly growing saplings' leaves were scorched and they died.

Golam Sarwar, who planted the saplings, said: "I repaired the road in the interest of the villagers and planted the betel nut saplings on both sides of it to beautify it by carrying out the Prime Minister's tree-planting programme."

Alamgir Hossain, a sub-inspector at the Debpur outpost of Burichang police station, said he had been due to visit and investigate the complaint but could not go because he was busy with work on another case in court. He said he would be able to give details after investigating the next day.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.