Hills in Sylhet Being Razed After Stone Looting

In Sylhet city and district, hills are being indiscriminately cut and leveled, with signs of hill cutting observed at 34 locations. Approximately 70% of these hills are privately owned, while the rest are government khas land, according to a report

In the Chadarpar area of Khadimpur Union, Sylhet Sadar, hills are being cut under the cover of tin-roofed houses. On Monday, September 1, 2025, a visit to the area revealed workers using shovels and spades to excavate soil from a hill and load it onto tractor-trolleys. The houses conceal the activity, making it difficult to detect from a distance. Similar scenes of open hill cutting were observed in nine locations across the city and district, with evidence of cutting found at an additional 25 sites over Monday and Tuesday.[](https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/local-news/touzjqnapc)

Under Section 6(b) of the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 1995, no individual or institution is permitted to cut or remove hills or hillocks, whether government-owned, semi-government, autonomous, or privately owned. Abdul Karim Chowdhury, Member Secretary of Dhoritry Rokkhay Amra (DHORA), highlighted that hill cutting has surged in the past year, with activities now occurring openly during the day, unlike the secretive nighttime operations of the past. He criticized the local administration for remaining silent.[](https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/local-news/touzjqnapc)

In Khadimpur Union, where over 100 small and large hills are located, hill cutting is most rampant. On Monday, cutting was observed in areas such as Uttor Mokamer Gul, Mokamer Gul, Tikarpara, Hazarat Shah Sundar Mazar Road, Pirerchak, Chadarpar tea garden, Chadarpar, and Golla. Locals also reported ongoing cutting in 15 other areas, including Khunirchak, Daspara, Chakgram, Dalaipara, Malai Tilla, and Jalalnagar. A resident of Khadimpur Union alleged that influential groups are hired by private hill owners to level the land in exchange for payment

One prominent example is the “Mama Khandkarer Tilla” in Mokamer Gul, a hill spanning about 1.5 acres. Once lush with trees, it has been significantly razed over the past few months. Although cutting has paused for the last month and a half, numerous trenches carved into the hill’s summit cause soil erosion during rains. Efforts to contact the hill’s owner, Khandkar Anwar Hossain, were unsuccessful.[](https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/local-news/touzjqnapc)

Hill cutting was also observed in Jaintapur Upazila’s Gouri, Sarigul, Bonpara, Thubang, Chandghat, Shikhar Kha, and Umonpur villages on Monday, and in Sylhet city’s Karipara, Brahman Shashon, Duski, Haoladarpara, Nalia, Dolia, Akhalia, Mohammadiya, Goyabari, Baragul, and Mejortila on Tuesday. On August 20, a privately owned hill in Ramnagar village, Gowainghat Upazila, was also being cut. Locals reported ongoing cutting in areas like Bahubal, Osmani Muktijoddha Adarsha Gram, Bahar Colony, Sirajnagar, Subujnagar, Upajati Kulibasti, Fatemanagar, Jahanpur, Saiyedpur, Chameli Bag, and Baluchar, many of which are government khas land.[](https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/local-news/touzjqnapc) Environmentalists warn that hill cutting is causing severe ecological damage in Sylhet, increasing soil erosion, disrupting rainfall patterns, and destroying biodiversity and natural ecosystems. They emphasize the urgent need to protect the remaining intact hills. According to the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), Sylhet had 1,025 hills covering 251 acres across multiple upazilas, but 45% have been fully or partially destroyed, with 30% razed in the past 25 years and an additional 15% since August 5, 2024, when administrative oversight weakened. BELA also reported that 15 people have died in hill collapses since 2022, with over 50 injured, and 10,000–15,000 families live in risky conditions near hill bases.

The Sylhet Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), Khoshnur Rubaiyat, stated that no hills, whether private or government-owned, can be cut, and legal action will be taken alongside enforcement drives. Sylhet’s Deputy Commissioner, Md. Sarwar Alam, assured that operations against hill cutters will soon be launched, emphasizing zero tolerance for environmental destruction.

Environmentalists, including BELA’s Sylhet Divisional Coordinator Shah Saheda Akhtar, noted that hill destruction has accelerated recently due to inadequate action. The Department of Environment filed cases against individuals involved in hill cutting, including a case on April 29 against six people in Jahangirnagar village and another on January 26 against 40 individuals in Katalbari village, naming local political figures. However, some accused, like Abdur Razzak, denied involvement, claiming the cases were based on false information.