Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Water Resources, has said that Bangladesh is moving towards technology-driven forest monitoring to prevent illegal logging and resource trafficking. She noted that satellite imagery, drone technology, and advanced data systems will soon be deployed to strengthen surveillance of the country’s forests.
The Adviser made these remarks while presiding over a meeting on online monitoring of the Rema-Kalenga reserved forest, held today at the Ministry’s conference room in the Bangladesh Secretariat on Monday
She informed that satellite images from 2015, 2020, and 2025 of the Rema-Kalenga, Satchhari, and Lathitila reserved forests will be analyzed with the assistance of the Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO) to identify changes over time.
In addition, high-resolution images will be collected from the Ministry of Land, and support from Survey of Bangladesh will be sought to use high-capacity drones.
It was announced that the Forest Department will soon begin surveying and numbering “mother trees” in the Rema-Kalenga reserved forest. Trained staff under the SUFAL project will be deployed for this activity. The Adviser further stated that mother tree identification will be expanded to all forest areas across the country, with support from divisional forest officers.
Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant (with the rank of State Minister) to the Hon’ble Chief Adviser in charge of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, said that challenges faced by the Forest Department in introducing technology-based monitoring will be identified and addressed, with assistance from relevant government agencies. He added that experts will be engaged to carry forward this initiative.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Shamima Begum, Joint Secretary (Forest); Md. Amir Hossain Chowdhury, Chief Conservator of Forests; Md. Rakibul Hasan Mukul, Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests; and senior officials from the Ministry, the Forest Department, and the ICT Division
