Over two lakh residents in Cox’s Bazar are facing life-threatening risks as unrestrained hill cutting continues across the town. With the onset of monsoon rains, the threat of landslides has intensified, largely due to the influx of Rohingyas who are clearing hills for illegal settlements.

Once a quiet beach town and a premier tourist destination, Cox’s Bazar is now grappling with an environmental crisis. According to local reports, Rohingyas fleeing overcrowded camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf are now settling on the town’s hills—especially in wards 7, 8, 9, and 12, as well as parts of nearby Jhilongja Union. These areas now host thousands of makeshift homes carved into the hillsides.

Despite repeated warnings from the municipal authorities and district administration, illegal hill cutting continues unabated. Many of these hills are government land or private properties now under threat of encroachment.

Mobasherul Islam, the son of late journalist Shamsul Islam, alleged that his family’s ancestral land in Isulur Ghona is being illegally excavated by local thugs and Rohingyas. “I’ve submitted complaints to the Department of Environment, but no action has been taken. We’re being threatened for trying to defend our own property,” he told Kaler Kantho- one of the country's national newspaper.

The town’s environmentalists warn of an imminent disaster. Dipok Sharma Dipu, president of Cox’s Bazar Forest and Environment Conservation Council, said, “Tragically, the same people who cut into hills are often the ones buried during landslides.”

Former councilor of Ward 7, Ashraful Huda Siddiqui, noted that landslide threats rise dramatically during the monsoon. “An entire zone near Rahmania Madrasa is now called ‘Rohingya Para’ due to the sheer number of illegal settlers,” he said.

Civic activists accuse the authorities of turning a blind eye. “Rohingyas are silently occupying key lands in town, yet there's no eviction drive,” said ANM Helal Uddin, president of Cox’s Bazar Citizens’ Forum. “From fishing boats to household work, Rohingyas have infiltrated every economic sector—bringing with them rising crimes like theft and mugging.”

Even government land near Hilltop Circuit House has not been spared. Hills there are being flattened to build illegal homes. Land prices have soared, creating a black market where local syndicates, allegedly backed by powerful interests, sell hill plots for profit.

The Department of Environment's Inspector Md Musaib Ibn Rahman admitted that nearly all hills in the district are under illegal occupation. “Landslides are more a result of human action than natural disaster. Hill cutting is the root cause, and we’re continuing our operations to stop it,” he said.

As monsoon rains continue and hill slopes become more fragile, experts warn that a major disaster may only be a matter of time. Without strict enforcement, the city may witness further loss of life and irreversible environmental damage.

BOB Post