Bangladesh is situated within the tropical
belt. Its total area is q.nMha (34. 87 M
acres) of which 1.3 M ha ( 3.21 M acres), 9.3
percent of the total land area, are under
the management of Government Forest
Department. Besides, there is another 0.96 M
ha (2.37 M acres) of state owned denuded forest
land, the Unclassed State Forests (USF), which
is under the control of the district authorities
and is subjected to shifting cultivation
practised by the local tribes. As a result,
the entire area of the USF has become almost
completely denuded and sungrass (Imperata
cylindrical has invaded most of the areas.

Aquilaria agallocha Roxb. is an evergreen
tree attaining a height of 20 to 25m. (65.6
to 82.0 ft) and occurs sporadically in the forests
of the Sylhet, Chittagong and Chittagong
Hill Tracts regions of Bangladesh. It is also
found in Bhutan, Assam, Burma, Malayasia,
Cambodia and other parts of the Far East
(Burkhill 1966).
The main value of A. agallocha lies in its naturally occuring brown to black oleoresinous
deposits (agar) found in patches and
streaks in the wood of a small proportion of
the trees. This material is much prized
as a source of agar, agar-attar and agarbati
from which incense, perfumes and medicines
are prepared. The export of agar and its
products now provides a valuable source
of foreign exchange earning for Bangladesh