Forest official killed while trying to apprehend robbers in Cox's Bazar

A Forest Department official was killed while trying to apprehend bandits who were trying to steal soil by truck from the hills of a forest reserve in Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhiya.

The officer was killed after being run over by the truck around 3:30am on Sunday in the Harinmara area of Rajapalong Union.

Forest Department’s Ukhiya Range official Gazi Shafiul Alam confirmed the matter to media.

The deceased is Md Sajjaduzzaman, 30, who hailed from Munshiganj’s Gajaria, and was assigned to the Dosari Forest Beat.

Forest conservationist Mohammad Ali, 27, was also injured in the incident.

Ukhiya police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shamim Hossain said: “Police went to the scene and recovered the body after the incident was reported. Law enforcers are working to identify those involved and bring them to justice.”

Md Sarwar Alam, the divisional forest officer of the Cox’s Bazar South Forest Department, inspected the scene early on Sunday after the incident was reported.

“Sajjad gave his life to protect the forests. We have lost a skilled and hard-working official,” he added.