Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday directed the authorities concerned to conduct digital surveys immediately to know the latest situation of all the forests across the country so that effective steps can be taken to protect the country’s forests.

She gave the directive while presiding over the virtual Cabinet meeting from her official residence Ganobhaban. Other cabinet members were connected from the Bangladesh Secretariat.

“The Prime Minister issued an instruction for conducting digital surveys immediately on all the forests, maintaining coordination among the Land Ministry and the Environment and Forest Ministry as the deputy commissioners concerned,” said Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam while briefing reporters after the meeting.

She stressed the need for taking steps on completion of the digital surveys for permanent settlement of the people who are now living inside forests.

The Prime Minister also directed the authorities concerned to go for reforestation and engage the local people in it, sharing the ownership of trees with them.

Read: UN chief in plea for saving forests

If the local people can be engaged in reforestation in forest lands, they would not damage the forest anymore, she said.

Many people living in different forest areas, including Modubangarh of Tangail, Garo hills of Sherpur, the Chittagong Hill Tracts and the Sundarbans are badly suffering due to huge forest-related cases, said the Cabinet Secretary adding that even one person is facing 40-50 legal suits.

About the cases, the Prime Minister gave a clear instruction to review the cases and immediately withdraw those having no merit in a bid to relieve the people.

She also asked for conducting a campaign so that people do not get involved in such cases anymore.

About the serious cases, the Prime Minister directed the authorities concerned to review those under the supervision of the Law Ministry whether the case can be withdrawn fast considering the relief of the people.

Read: Deforestation slowed down but still remains a concern: UN report reveals

The Cabinet in principle approved the draft of Attia Forest (Reservation) Act 2021 to protect the Attia Forest on 45000-46000 acres of lands (in Dhaka and Tangail districts).

The proposed law will replace the Attia Forest (Protection) Ordinance 1982,”said the Cabinet Secretary, adding that the forest was first declared a reserved forest through a law in the 1920s.

According to the law, harming the forest in any way is a non-bailable offence, he said.

In this regard, the Prime Minister instructed to conduct the digital survey on the Attia Forest first and then on other forests gradually.

Besides, the Cabinet in principle approved the draft of Copyright Act 2021 with a provision that the validity of intellectual property right of any work would be sixty years after its publication.

The Cabinet, however, did not approve the draft of Drugs Act 2021 and asked the authorities concerned to review it further.