People's Voice demands special tribunal and task force to stop hill cutting in Ctg
The organisation also renewed its long-standing demand for 11 June to be officially recognised as National Hill Protection Day
Environmental advocacy group People's Voice has called on the government to urgently form a special task force and establish a dedicated tribunal to stop the ongoing illegal hill cutting in the Chattogram region and ensure swift justice for those responsible.
The organisation also renewed its long-standing demand for 11 June to be officially recognised as National Hill Protection Day.
In a statement issued by Syed Atikur Rahman, spokesperson for People's Voice, today, on the occasion of marking the anniversary of the devastating hill collapse in Chattogram on 11 June 2007, which claimed 127 lives, the organisation emphasised that these incidents are not mere accidents but the outcome of years of environmental negligence and government inaction.
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The group, which has observed this day each year with awareness programs, expressed regret that it could not organize events this year due to Eid holidays and unavoidable circumstances.
The group reiterated several urgent demands, including the formal recognition of 11 June as National Hill Protection Day, implementation of the 2007 government investigation committee's recommendations, and the formation of a task force to conduct routine drives against illegal hill cutting.
They also called for the establishment of a special tribunal to ensure swift and effective punishment of those involved in environmental crimes, and urged the government to enforce all development activities under strict environmental guidelines.
People's Voice highlighted that landslides continue to claim lives every year in Chattogram, the three hill districts, and Cox's Bazar.
The 2017 Rangamati landslide that killed 130 people and several other fatal incidents over the years serve as grim reminders of the consequences of unchecked hill cutting.
The organisation demanded the immediate relocation of residents living at the base of vulnerable hills to safer areas.
They called for the demolition of illegal structures built through hill cutting, disconnection of public utilities to these unauthorized establishments, and identification and prosecution of those occupying hills illegally.
They further demanded accountability for inactive officials and urged that local representatives be involved in addressing the issue effectively.
People's Voice appealed to the highest levels of government for urgent intervention.
They warned that unless serious action is taken, lives will continue to be lost in avoidable disasters. The group stressed that the repeated tragedies are not natural but man-made, and stopping them requires political will and institutional accountability.
