Bangladesh is a young country but its
forestry traditions date back to the midnineteenth
century. According to the Government
two year (1978-80) approach plan,
the area of state owned forest managed by
the Forest Department is 1.32 million ha
(3.25 million acres). There is also 0.906-
million ha (2.4 million acres) of unstocked
hill forest under the administration of the
district authority of Chittagong Hill Tracts,
most of which is only usable for raising
forest crops. The major objectives of the
approach plan, and indeed of plans for future
years, are the accelerated exploitation coupled
with the establishment of plantations.