Chittagong Hill Tracts Forest Produce Transport Rules 1973.

The Chittagong Hill Tracts Forest Transit Rules, 1973, issued by the Government of Bangladesh (then East Pakistan administrative framework) under sections 41, 42 and 76 of the Forest Act, 1927, and replacing the earlier Chittagong Hill Tracts Forest Transit Rules, 1942. The principal objective of the Rules is to regulate the movement and transit of timber and other forest produce by land and water within, into and from the Chittagong Hill Tracts. To achieve this objective, the Rules establish permit and licensing requirements for the extraction, transport and transit of forest products, prescribe procedures for certificates of origin, transit passes and property marks, and define the responsibilities of forest authorities in supervising and controlling the movement of forest produce. The Rules further aim to prevent illegal extraction and trade in timber and forest products by introducing inspection, checking and documentation mechanisms, regulating timber depots and saw-pits, establishing official transit checkpoints and requiring registration of property marks used by timber traders. They also empower forest officials to stop and examine consignments, remove obstructions affecting forest-product transport routes, enforce compliance with permit conditions and apply penalties for infringements. Through these measures, the Rules seek to promote accountability in the forest-products trade and strengthen the administration, monitoring and conservation of forest resources in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.