A meeting held by the Sylhet district administration has resulted in five key decisions to prevent illegal stone extraction from quarries and tourist sites in the region. The measures include setting up checkpoints and identifying and arresting individuals involved in stone looting.
The meeting took place on Wednesday from 7:15 PM to 8:45 PM at the office of the District Commissioner, chaired by Mohammad Sher Mahbub Murad. It was attended by officials from the local administration, army, police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and intelligence agencies.
The five unanimous decisions are:
1. Joint forces will maintain 24-hour operations in the Jaflong Ecologically Critical Area (ECA) and Sadapather areas.
2. Joint forces will be stationed round-the-clock at police checkpoints in Gowainghat and Companiganj upazilas.
3. The administration will conduct operations to disconnect electricity and shut down illegal stone-crushing machines.
4. All individuals involved in stone theft will be identified, arrested, and brought to justice.
5. Stolen stones will be recovered and returned to their original locations.
When contacted around 10 PM, District Commissioner Mohammad Sher Mahbub Murad told Prothom Alo that the administration has been conducting regular operations to stop stone looting. Despite these efforts, illegal activities persisted, prompting the new decisions, which will be implemented immediately. He emphasized that the administration is determined to stop the "stone mafia" at any cost, and results will be visible soon.
In February 2020, the government issued a directive to halt stone and sand extraction from quarries. Local sources report that, despite the ban, illegal extraction continued under the patronage of some local Awami League leaders, often at night. Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5, control of Sylhet’s quarries shifted to BNP and its affiliate leaders, who facilitated open stone extraction by thousands of workers.
Due to rampant looting, areas like Shah Arefin Tila in Companiganj, Bholaganj quarry, protected bunker zones, and Jaflong in Gowainghat have become nearly stone-free. In the last four months, stone extraction intensified in the Sadapather area, and over the past week, extreme looting has left the area almost devoid of stones.
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