The Daily Star: Dhaka: Monday,
October 31, 2016.
Information
Commission yesterday found that Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) did not
"properly follow rules" when felling four big trees in Banani area
for its drainage and footpath development work few months back.
The
Commission holding a hearing in its office fixed November 20 for further
hearing, as DNCC Secretary Md Nabirul Islam who took part in the hearing failed
to provide proper information.
The tree
felling guideline was not properly followed in this case and there was a
negligence from the DNCC engineering department, which is why Information
Commission decided to give final decision after hearing the engineering
department officials, said Chief Information Commissioner Prof Dr Golam Rahman.
Shamsul Bari,
a resident in the area, filed a complaint with the Commission accusing DNCC of
not giving him information about the tree felling despite seeking it twice
under the Right to Information Act (RTI).
He first
sought the information on May 3 and then on July 12.
In his
application to DNCC, the resident wanted to know under which rules the city
corporation felled his two trees in front of his house and two other trees of
his neighbour.
Workers
involved in the drainage development work told Shamsul that the trees were
felled for getting the drain straight and building footpath on it, he said.
Among the
trees, a 40-year-old Bakul (Maulsari) tree was planted by his wife who died two
years back, he claimed.
DNCC did,
however, not fell another seven trees on the road though they, too, impede the
drainage construction, Shamsul mentioned, expressing his happiness over not
felling the trees.
He added that
after many days he received a reply to his second application on September 8,
which was void of complete and proper information. Among others, information
commissioners Nepal Chandra Sarkar and Dr Khurshida Sayeed were present during
the hearing.
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