Online Desk: Environment, Forest and Climate Changes Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury on Wednesday said his ministry is working to ensure the maximum punishment of those involved in the killing of a forest official at Ukhiya in Cox’s Bazar.

“Necessary legal initiatives have been taken to give exemplary punishment to those involved in the killing of the officer (a beat officer of Dochhari Forest Beat),” he said replying to a question from reporters.

The minister was talking to journalists after joining a workshop as the chief guest in the city’s Agargaon area.

Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO) with the support of UNICEF Bangladesh arranged the workshop titled “Addressing the Children’s Environmental Health with a Particular Focus on Lead Poisoning in Bangladesh” in Parjatan Bhaban.

Saber Hossain said a case was filed over this incident and one of the accused was arrested by the police. “The ministry expects exemplary punishment for the brutal killers,” he said.

On March 31 last, Sazzaduzzaman, 30, an official of the Forest Department, died after he was run over by a dumper truck used to seal earth from the hills of a forest reserve in Cox’s Bazar.

Replying to another question, the minister said new guidelines are being framed to select projects and allocate funds for the projects through the Climate Change Trust.

In the future, projects will be undertaken following the guidelines and thus it would be possible to avoid the mistakes the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust made in the past.

Addressing the workshop as the chief guest, the minister said the government and his ministry will take all possible steps to reduce the risk of lead poisoning and ensure a healthy future for the children of Bangladesh.

He noted that cooperation and participation of all concerned in this work is very important.

Director General of the Department of Environment Dr Abdul Hamid also spoke at the workshop presided over by former Secretary and ESDO chairman Syed Marghub Morshed.