Sand looted during day, stones at night in Sylhet

Due to minimal monitoring from the administration, stones are being looted indiscriminately from the stone quarries in Jaflong of Gowainghat and Bholaganj of Companiganj in Sylhet. Additionally, sand is being extracted illegally from the rivers adjacent to the quarries. Allegations have been raised that some local BNP leaders are providing shelter for this.

According to data from the administration, stones worth at least Tk 1.4 billion (Tk 140 crore) have been looted from the two quarries in just two weeks after the fall of the government. In addition to stones still being extracted from those quarries at night, sand is being taken in broad daylight.

The government issued a directive suspending the extraction of stones and sand from the quarries in February 2020. Since then, illegal extraction has continued under the shelter of some local Awami League leaders during the night. Following the recent change in the political landscape, leaders of the BNP and its affiliated organisations have allegedly taken control of the quarries, according to local residents.

Shah Shaheda Akhter, coordinator for the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) in the Sylhet division, told Prothom Alo that the local administration was aloof for some time after the change of power. Stones were literally looted publicly at the Jaflong and Bholaganj quarries during that period.

Even now, sand is being extracted during the day and stones at night, but the administration remains inactive regarding this issue. However, the extraction of stones and sand should be stopped to protect the environment and biodiversity. The district administration has been notified of this matter several times, she added.

BELA stated that Jaflong was declared an Ecologically Critical Area (ECA) in response to their appeal back in 2015. Furthermore, the main authority responsible for stone quarries, the Bangladesh Bureau of Mineral Development (BMD), has kept stone extraction suspended at eight quarries in Sylhet, including Jaflong, since February 2020, as per the High Court’s order. The district administration has implemented the BMD’s decision.

In this situation, the stones flowing in with the river water from India have been stored in piles at Jaflong and Bholaganj. Those piles of stones, accumulated over the last four years, are now being looted. Additionally, local sources from BELA report that as many as 106 workers have been killed in the quarries between February 2005 and 13 December, 2021, due to the indiscriminate extraction of stones.

While travelling along the bank of Gowain river from Jaflong Zero point to Ballaghat on 9 August, workers were found filling sands on more than a hundred ‘Barki’ boats. There were about 70 to 80 boats in that Ballaghat area alone. Some boats were also seen carrying stones.

The workers were unloading the sand on the bank of the river once the sand-filled boats anchored beside Ballaghat Bazar. Later the sand was loaded on trucks and pick-up trucks to be transported off to predestined destinations. Sand was seen being looted in the same process at Jaflong Tea Estate and Mandir Jhum areas adjacent to the river as well.  

Two residents of Jaflong said that people used to extract sand covertly before the change of power. But the sand extraction went overt after 5 August. The looters take cover when the taskforce run drives now and then and the looting continues again when the law enforcers are gone. Though stones are extracted less during the day, it runs unabatedly at night.

Standing on the bank of the river at Ballaghat Bazar, a local resident in his fifties pointed at the queue of Barki boats anchored in the distance and said that the workers load the boats with sand diving in the water of Gowain river.

It takes three workers 40 to 60 minutes to load sand in one boat. The boats are loaded with sand like this in the same pace day and night. Whenever there’s scope, they loot stone as well. Sand and stones are being looted from Piyain river adjacent near zero point also in the same way, he added.

Locals stated that after extracting the sand, the workers sell it to site collectors (buyers of sand from boats) on the Piyain and Gowain rivers. The collectors typically pay Tk 400-500 for a sand-filled boat, which contains about 50 feet of sand. This sand is later sold to various businessmen at a higher price. Meanwhile, a stone-filled boat of the same size sells for Tk 1,500-4,000, with each boat able to store about 40-50 feet of stones.

While there were fewer incidents of stone looting at the Jaflong quarry during the day, the situation was completely different at the Bholaganj quarry. During a visit to the quarry on 13 October, workers were seen extracting stone and sand from various parts of the Dhalai River, which flows through the quarry and the reserved bunker zone of the railway ropeway, before transporting them on Barki boats in broad daylight.

The extracted sand and stone were piled up at the Gucchagram Police outpost and Gucchagram bazaar docks on the west side of the Dhalai River, alongside Notunbazar and Kolabari areas on the east side. Later, these materials were removed to safety using trucks and pick-ups. Sand and stones were seen being extracted in the same manner even after nightfall.

As reported by local administration, the administration used to keep monthly records of stone piled at Jaflong locally. There was approximately 37.4 million (3.74 crore) cubic feet of stone stored at Jaflong on last 26 July. Miscreants disabled the CCTV cameras installed there around at 8:20 pm on 5 August.

Later, at least 10 million (1 crore) cubic feet of stone was looted from the banks of Piyain and Gowain river adjacent to Jaflong zero point in the next two weeks. The approximate worth of that was almost Tk 1 billion (Tk 100 crore). The local union land officer filed a genera diary (GD) with Gowainghat police station on 18 August in connection to this incident.

Meanwhile, lootings also continued for two consecutive weeks in Bjolaganj stone quarry in Companiganj. Stones worth at least Tk 200 million (Tk 20 crore) have been looted from there.

According to sources from the administration, there were incidents of vandalism and arson at police station, police outposts and BGB camps after the fall of the government.

The police and BGB members couldn’t perform their duties at that time. Taking advantage of the scope, miscreants looted a massive amount of stones from there.

Several locals involved in the stone trade stated, though it is being claimed that stones worth Tk 1.2 billion (Tk 120 crore) have been looted away from Jaflong and Bholaganj as per the administration record, the actual quantity is likely even higher. Sand and stone are still being looted in the same pace. They estimate that stone and sand worth at least Tk 1.5 billion (Tk 150 crore) have been looted in 70 days following the fall of the government.

Gowainghat Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Touhidul Islam stated that, after overcoming the altered situation, drives are being carried out again alongside awareness campaigns for the protection of stone and sand. He claimed that the looting of stones has now been stopped completely. Companiganj UNO Abida Sultana added that regular drives are being conducted to prevent the looting of sand and stone, and even stricter measures would be taken if deemed necessary.

Local residents said that many locals were involved in the looting of stones at Jaflong and Bholaganj in the first two days after the fall of the government. They were accompanied by some leaders of BNP and its affiliated organisations along with their followers.

Now there is a ring looting stone and sand at the quarries under the shelter of those BNP leaders. They are continuing with the looting by ‘colluding’ with the BNP leaders, alleged local residents.

Several local sources stated that at least 10 names of BNP and affiliated organization leaders have emerged as backers of sand and stone looting at Jaflong, including the joint general secretary of the district BNP, Rafiqul Islam alias Shaporan; the president of East Jaflong Union BNP, Amzad Baks; and the microcredit cooperatives secretary of Upazila BNP, Riaz Talukder.

The central committee of BNP revoked Rafiqul Islam’s party position on 14 October, citing allegations of stone looting. Despite several attempts to contact him by cellphone regarding these allegations, he did not answer.

Another accused, Amzad Baks, stated, “Please conduct an impartial and independent investigation. I can assure you that you won’t find any involvement on my part. There were no police or BGB members present at that time. Taking advantage of that, people took away the stones at random.”

He added, “At the request of the Ballaghat stone traders’ cooperative association, I visited the site along with many others on 5 and 6 August. While there, I urged everyone not to take the stones.”

BNP leader Riaz Uddin Talukder also denied the accusations, claiming that he had protested against the extraction of stones, asserting that some identified Awami League activists were still looting stones at Jaflong. He emphasized that neither he nor anyone from the local BNP is involved in this activity.

President of district BNP, Abdul Kaiyum Chowdhury told Prothom Alo that the acting chairman of the party has given direction that no one would be spared if they get involved in criminal activities.

If the accusations are found to be true, appropriate organisational action including suspension would be taken against people concerned.

Meanwhile, allegations have been raised that some local leaders of Jubo Dal are sheltering the looters of stone and sand at Bholaganj. Speaking on this issue, president of district Jubo Dal Mominul Islam told Prothom Alo, “We have investigating the matter if anyone from the Jubo Dal were involved in the looting of stone and sand. Organisational action would be taken if the allegations are proved against any such members. The matter if someone is doing this by using the name of Jubo Dal will be investigated as well.”  

The local administration stated that there were no activities from the police or administration in the two weeks following the fall of the government. However, monitoring has intensified since then. As of last Tuesday, four drives have been carried out at Jaflong since the government change.

The task force has seized 700 boats used for extracting sand and stone during operations at Jaflong up to last Monday. A total of 966,000 (9.66 lakh) cubic feet of sand, 10,000 cubic feet of stone, and two stone-breaking machines were confiscated during this time. Similarly, boats used for transporting sand and stone have been seized, and fines have been imposed after six drives in Bholaganj.

Deputy Commissioner of Sylhet, Mohammad Sher Mahbub Murad, told Prothom Alo that stones were looted from the quarries for some days at the beginning of the changed situation. Regular cases have also been filed in connection with these incidents.

Currently, drives are being conducted regularly to prevent the looting of sand and stone. The administration is closely monitoring the situation. Additionally, those involved in the looting are being identified and registered, and legal action is being taken against them, the DC added.