Lalmohammad Kibria: A sand looting festival is going on indiscriminately by breaking into rivers, canals, streams, croplands, water bodies, hills and river banks of the Forest Department on the border of the Garo Hills in Sherpur.
As a result, the beauty and natural balance of the Garo Hills are being lost, and biodiversity is facing threats.
It is known that the Garo Hills of Sherpur, located at the foot of the Garo Hills, bordering the Indian state of Meghalaya, are a paradise of beauty, rich in natural minerals and forest resources. The Ghazni Recreation Center in Jhenaigati, the Madhutila Ecopark in Nalitabari and the Panihata Tourism Center have been built around this beauty. Thousands of tourists arrive at these centers every year. The Garo Hills become bustling with the arrival of tourists. The arrival of visitors is to enjoy the beauty. The government receives crores of taka in revenue from these centers. But in the areas around these tourist centers, local sand pirates like Bhogai, Chellakhali, Maharshi and
Hundreds of dredger machines have been installed in various places including the Someshwari, Karnajhora, and Kalghosa rivers, causing damage to the balance of the environment and freely plundering sand.
This is destroying the beauty of tourist destinations. Natural beauty and biodiversity are also under threat. The issue of sand looting is now viral on social media. Crores of taka worth of sand are being looted indiscriminately every day by cutting down cropland and hills of the forest department on the banks of the river. The extracted sand is being sold in different parts of the country. Thousands of people are now involved in sand looting due to the increase in the price of sand. Talking to sand traders, it was learned that sand is being sold for 40 to 60 thousand taka per truck. The sand that was sold for 10 to 12 thousand taka last year is now being sold for 60 thousand taka. It is known that the reason for the increase in the price of sand is that the extraction of sand from the Someshwari River in Durgapur, Netrokona has been stopped due to complications related to the case, which has increased the demand for sand from the Garo Hills of Sherpur. Investigations have revealed that in the last few months, a man from the Garo Hills has become a millionaire by looting sand.
According to locals, after a month or two of sand mining in the designated leased areas of the rivers, there is no more sand left. Later, the sand miners continue to mine in non-lease areas throughout the year.
This is the complaint of local residents. It is alleged that the sand grabbers have been looting sand worth crores of taka every day for a long time, sometimes by force, day and night. On-site investigation has shown that currently, in a 40-kilometer area from Nakugaon land port to Karnajhora and in various markets including Sherpur Sadar, Jhenaigati, Sribardi and Nalitabari Sadar, illegal sand markets have been set up in villages, villages, neighborhoods, at crossroads, and in front of various administration offices. Sand is being sold openly and without hindrance from these places. It is alleged that since the sand grabbers are influential, no one dares to speak out or protest against the sand grabbers. Again, if anyone protests, the black paws of the sand grabbers come down on them. The administration is having a hard time even when it comes to conducting operations to prevent sand grabbers.
Administration officials, UNO and ACLAND are being harassed by being labeled as Awami League associates while conducting operations. Journalists are also not spared. There are also allegations that they are being threatened by being labeled as Awami League journalists while writing for newspapers.
It is known that after August 5, Nalitabari Upazila Executive Officer Masud Rana took a stand to stop sand looting as part of the administration's work. He had to conduct raids almost every day to stop sand looting. It is alleged that the sand grabbers, unable to suppress him in any way, took to the field to protest against him on various pretexts. At one stage, he received the title of Awami League associate and had to be transferred last month. Jhenaigati Upazila Executive Officer Ashraful Alam Russell and some local journalists received the title of Awami League associate after seizing an illegal sand truck.
It is learned that on the night of January 27, Jhenaigati Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Aninda Rani Bhowmik conducted a mobile court against illegal sand in various places in the upazila headquarters. During this time, a vehicle filled with illegal sand was seized and four workers were sentenced to 10 days in prison. In this incident, the sand pirates surrounded the upazila parishad and tried to free the sentenced workers. They called Upazila Executive Officer Ashraful Alam Russell a friend of the Awami League and shouted slogans against him and some local journalists, according to the upazila administration.
The situation was later brought under control with the intervention of the army and police.
Rafiqul Islam, the Forest Department's Madhutila Range Officer in Nalitabari Upazila, said they are facing threats while conducting operations to stop sand looting from the forest area.
Assistant Conservator of Forests SD Md. Tanvir Ahmed Emon, working in the Rangtia Forest Range of Jhenaigati Upazila of Mymensingh Forest Department, said that he is struggling to stop the looting of stones and sand from the forest area due to lack of manpower and security reasons. However, he said that an application has been made to the concerned department to increase the manpower.
It is known that, during the past 15 years of the Awami League government, sand was looted from areas outside the lease. However, at that time it was limited to the river. Currently, numerous new sand palaces have emerged. The reckless looting of sand does not stop. The banks of the river have been damaged by the clutches of sand pirates,
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Lal Md. Shahjahan Kibria
Sherpur
February 4, 2025
