Miscreants have cut down 352 trees in a farmer's six-bigha malta orchard under cover of darkness at Kaliganj in Lalmonirhat.

The incident happened late on the night of Monday (4 July) in Gopalray village of Kakina union in the upazila. Farmer Mominur Rahman claims the loss is more than Tk 15 lakh.

A few years ago the orchard owner, Mominur Rahman, planted malta, orange and papaya trees on about six bighas of leased land. The malta trees were due to bear fruit next year. But on Monday night miscreants cut down 352 of the orchard's malta trees and left them lying. Mominur Rahman, who planted the trees with great effort using borrowed money, is at a loss.

"I have no enmity with anyone. I don't understand who has done me this harm. I am in debt from setting up this orchard and I don't know how I will make up the loss. I will go to the law for justice," the orchard owner said.

Mominur Rahman's father, Nurul Haque, said more than Tk 8 lakh had been spent on the orchard's malta trees, from planting the saplings until now, and that within a few days all the trees would have borne malta.

Golam Rasul, officer-in-charge (OC) of Kaliganj police station, said a complaint about the cutting of the malta trees had been received. Necessary action would be taken after investigation, he said.

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