The Ministry of Education has ordered an immediate stop to hill cutting during the implementation of the "Further Development of Comilla University" project. The directive also calls for replanting trees in the affected areaa and submitting a report on environmental compliance during the development work.
This instruction follows a letter issued on October 15 by Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. The letter highlighted that development activities in the Lalmai Hill area of Comilla Sadar South were carried out without the necessary approval from the Department of Environment.
The letter also warned that such actions under a government project set a harmful precedent for private or individual projects. It emphasized that hills, as invaluable natural resources, cannot be restored once destroyed. Lalmai Hill, in particular, holds national heritage and archaeological significance, which must be preserved.
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The directive, signed by Ahmed Shibli, Deputy Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division, was issued on November 27 to ensure compliance with environmental laws.
The Ministry of Environment hopes all parties will respect the law and adopt eco-friendly practices in future development projects.