Before partition of India in 1947, Bangladesh forests were administered under Forest Circles of the Bangal and Assem Forest Departments. From 1947 to 1962, the Provincial Forest Department was the authority with a Conservator of Forests, and subsequently until 1971 by a Chief Conservator of Forests. With the formation of Bangladesh in 1971, reserved and proposed reserve forests passed to the Bangladesh Forest Department.
From 1971 to 1989, BFD fell under the Ministry of Agriculture. The Department enjoyed varying interest in terms of attention from Government. For a brief spell, there was an Inspector General of Forests, in addition to the Chief Conservation of forests, to coordinate forestry activities. During 1987-89, Forestry was a Division of Agriculture Ministry, with a Secretary to Government in charge of the Forestry Division. With the formation of the new Ministry of Environment and Forests, in 1989, it was transferred to this new Ministry.
Besides the Department, MOEF controls the Department of Environment, Bangladesh Forest Industries Development Corporation and Bangladesh Forest Research Institute. MOEF oversees all environmental matters in the country and is a permanent member of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council.
Private sector forestry is confined to `homestead forestry' and small-scale (mainly sawmilling) enterprises. While their contribution to the sector is large, they are mostly outside the formal institutional system of the sector.
Forest Department Mission The Forest Department, one of the oldest government organizations, has gone through several reorganizations, but without much change in its structure since its early inception in a different political and administrative era. Originally, its limited responsibilities were for managing and protecting State forests. Now it is also an agent for rural and social development and forest production. |
Forest Department - Departmental structure is hierarchical. The Department is headed by a Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF). At BFD's headquarters, the CCF is assisted by three Deputy Chief Conservators, responsible for development planning, forest extension, and forest management planning, respectively. Each Deputy is supported by an Assistant Chief Conservator. Reporting to the CCF, is also a Conservator of Forests (CF), who with the assistance of two Assistant Chiefs, is responsible for general administration and wildlife. Directors of the Forest Development and Training Centre and the Thana Afforestation and Nursery Development Project are directly responsible to the CCF.
BFD's field operations, consisting of six Circles headed by Conservators of Forests and concerned with territorial forestry, come under the CCF's direction. Each Conservator is in charge of several forest divisions. Every division normally coincides administrative districts, and is under the charge of a Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), there are 37 Forest Divisions in the country. Divisions divided into several forest ranges, controlled by Forest Rangers, who in turn are in charge of several beats, each under a Deputy Ranger or Forester. The total strength of the Department at present is about 9,000 permanent staff. It also employees a large number of labourers on a casual basis for its field activities.
BFD's functional characteristics Functionally, the Department is characterized by: a centralized command and administrative structure which causes unacceptable decision delays and leads to inefficiency and debilitating indifference; use of power as a custodial and law enforcing agency enjoying the prerogatives of authority; emphasis on process rather than performance. |
In the Pre-Independence days, the major function of the Department was policing to protect the forests in its charge and to collect taxes and revenue. It thus worked to a relatively narrow mandate, under centralized administrative system and with closed decision making.
