District Correspondent, Sylhet: Various irregularities are taking place around Ratargul Swamp Forest, the only freshwater swamp forest in Bangladesh, located in Gowainghat Upazila. Due to the illegal trade of “black tickets,” the government is losing nearly one crore taka in revenue annually.
An on-site visit revealed a massive crowd of tourists at the ticket counter of the Ratargul Special Biodiversity Conservation Area. Tourists were seen lining up to purchase tickets. However, signs of irregularities and mismanagement were evident, with no forest department officials present. A local named Mamun, responsible for selling tickets, was observed selling tickets designated for students to all visitors. When asked about their student status, many tourists failed to provide proper identification.
At the boat terminal, another round of irregularities was uncovered. When tourists were asked to show their tickets, they mentioned that their tickets were with the boatmen. One boatman handed over the tickets from his pocket to journalists, revealing that these tickets were also meant for students. However, none of the tourists on the boat were students. This misuse of tickets allows large sums of money to be siphoned off, depriving the government of rightful revenue.
Several boatmen, speaking anonymously, claimed that they were instructed by the authorities to keep tourists’ tickets with them during boat rides. Later, these tickets are collected from the boatmen by certain individuals and returned to the ticket counter for resale. This practice benefits a few local influential people while denying the government significant revenue.
At another boat terminal, when tickets of eight tourists on a boat were checked, the boatman could produce only five tickets from his pocket. He could not provide tickets for the remaining three tourists.
On weekends and public holidays, such as Fridays and Saturdays, the Ratargul Swamp Forest sees a significant influx of tourists, making it a bustling hub of activity in Gowainghat.
Mahbub Alam, President of the Co-Management Executive Committee of Ratargul Swamp Forest, admitted to the irregularities, stating, “There are some errors. We will hold a meeting to implement stricter measures.”
Bipul, a Forest Department official from the Sari Range, said, “Extensive discussions regarding irregularities in Ratargul have been held with the Co-Management Committee. If anyone is found involved in irregularities, action will be taken after investigation.”
Gowainghat Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Ratan Kumar Adhikari said, “I was unaware of these irregularities. I have learned about the allegations through you. If anyone is found involved in such irregularities, administrative action will be taken following an investigation. To ensure government revenue increases, I personally pay the entry fee and boat fare during my visits.”
