Dhaka, Jan. 8 -- The Bangladesh government has issued the Forest and Tree Ordinance 2026 with the aim of preventing the occupation of forest land, regulating the use of forest land for non-forest purposes, ensuring proper conservation of forests and forest land, preventing the reduction of forest areas, and protecting trees.

The issuance of the ordinance was announced in a press release on Thursday, bdnews24.com reports.

According to the ordinance, "Cutting any tree listed as a prohibited species or declared endangered by the Forest Department will be punishable with a fine of maximum Tk 100,000."

It says the Forest Act of 1927 contains provisions on the management of reserved and protected forests, but there are no rules for conservin...