Bagerhat: The Forest Department has suspended its three employees for their negligence of duties in connection with the recent fire incidents in the Sundarban in Sharankhola upazila.

The suspended employees are M Nasir Uddin, in charge of Nangli forest camp of Dhansagar Station under the Chandpai range of the Sundarban East Zone, and two boatmen of the same camp–Polash Majumder and Mobarak Hossain.

The action was taken against them on 19 April after the allegation of their negligence during the Sundarban fires was primarily proved against them, said divisional forest officer of the Sundarban East Zone M Sahidul Islam on Saturday.

Meanwhile, a team of Sharankhola Police Station arrested a man, Saiful Hawlader, 22, son of Dulal Hawlader of Rajeshwar village, from east Rajapur of the upazila on early Saturday for alleged involvement in the fire incidents of the Sundarban, said officer-in-charge of the police station M Shah Alam Miah.

The Chadpai Range of the Sundarban witnesses three incidents of fire in three weeks.

A fire broke out in the Dhanshagor station’s Nangli forest camp area on 27 March, another at Abdullah Shila of the range on 18 April and the third one on 13 April.

In the last 14 years, there have been 20 fire incidents in Chandpai and Sharankhola ranges of the mangrove forest