1 lakh cubic feet of looted stones recovered in Sylhet in two days
According to the administration, half of the recovered stones have already been returned to Sada Pathor, while the rest are in the process of being reinstated.
In the past two days, the Sylhet district administration has recovered nearly 1 lakh cubic feet of stones looted from the Sada Pathor area of Companiganj upazila, following an unprecedented wave of illegal extraction that turned the popular tourist site into a barren stretch.
According to the administration, half of the recovered stones have already been returned to Sada Pathor, while the rest are in the process of being reinstated.
On Friday (15 August) alone, some 45,000 cubic feet of looted stones were seized from various spots in Companiganj during daylong drives. Additionally, operations in Jaflong have recovered 8,500 cubic feet of stolen stones over two-day period.
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Md Masud Rana, assistant commissioner (confidential branch, media cell) at the district administration, said drives conducted between Wednesday midnight and Friday evening led to the recovery of around 1 lakh cubic feet of stones.
The administration also discovered that some stone traders had hidden stolen stones underground to evade detection. Acting on a tip-off, officials raided the Kolabari area in Companiganj, where they unearthed a large cache.
Seven truckloads were immediately sent back to Sada Pathor, while about 5,000 cubic feet more will be returned on Saturday, said Mahmud Ashiq Kabir, senior assistant commissioner (revenue branch, district branding and tourism Cell) at the Deputy Commissioner's Office.
Meanwhile in Jaflong, a joint team of the administration, police, and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), led by Gowainghat Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ratan Kumar Adhikari, recovered 8,500 cubic feet of stones from the banks of the Piyain River over Thursday and Friday. The stones were transported by boat to the Jaflong Zero Point for reinstallation into the river.
UNO Adhikari said miscreants had been removing stones at night during heavy rain. "We acted immediately upon receiving the report, and 24-hour police and BGB patrols are now in place. While we have recovered the stones, no one involved in the looting has been arrested yet," he added.
Authorities say the drives will continue in the coming days.
