Illegal sand extraction from the Mahadeo river in Kalmakanda upazila and the Someshwari river in Durgapur upazila of Netrokona continues unabated despite a ban, court directives and repeated administrative drives.
A vested group with political backing has been openly extracting sand from various points of the rivers, transporting it by engine-boats and stockpiling it on the banks before sending it to different areas by auto-rickshaws, vans and trucks round the clock.
Locals said unrestricted sand lifting was altering the natural courses of the rivers, damaging the ecosystem and increasing the risk of riverbank erosion. Noise from sand-laden boats and vehicles was also causing disturbance to riverbank residents.
Anisur Rahman Khan Pathan Babul, chairman of Rangchhati Union Parishad in Kalmakanda, said several local influential figures and expelled leaders of the ruling party were involved in sand extraction from the Mahadeo.
He alleged that although many sand-laden boats pass right in front of the Bishorpasha Police Outpost, police take no visible action.
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A stockpile of extracted sand lies on the riverbank, awaiting transport to different areas by auto-rickshaws, vans and trucks. The photos were taken recently. PHOTO: STAR
Sub-Inspector Jahangir Alam, in-charge of Bishorpasha Police Outpost, however, denied the allegation, saying no sand-laden boats operate in front of the outpost. He said necessary action had been taken in the past whenever such boats were spotted.
Shafiqul Islam, an auto-rickshaw driver who transports sand, said sand was being regularly extracted from around 10-15 points of the Someshwari.
He said he buys sand for Tk 1,000 per trip and sells it to sand depots for Tk 1,800-2,000. Many others like him are involved in the trade, he added.
Marginalised people are also involved in the sand trade.
Rozina Begum, 30, a local, said there were very few alternative employment opportunities in the area, prompting all members of her family to collect sand from the river in sacks and later sell it to auto-rickshaw drivers.
Sukhmoy Sarker, additional deputy commissioner (revenue) in Netrokona, said leasing of the district’s sand quarries has remained suspended since March 13, 2024, following High Court directives in a case filed by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association under the Balumahal and Soil Management (Amendment) Act 2023.
Any sand extraction is therefore completely illegal and a punishable offence, he said.
Durgapur UNO Ahmed Sadat said the administration was aware of the matter. He claimed the activities had decreased significantly due to regular mobile court drives.
Kalmakanda UNO NM Abdullah Al Mamun said the administration was conducting regular drives against illegal sand lifting.
During a recent drive, 39 sand-laden boats were seized and one person was sent to jail, while Kalmakanda police were instructed to file a case against around 100 suspects, he said.
