12,000 cubic feet of looted stones restored at Sada Pathor in a single night

Authorities in Sylhet have restored 12,000 cubic feet of looted stones at the Sada Pathor tourist spot overnight, in a bid to return the site to its original state. 

The operation began last night (13 August) and was completed within hours, according to officials. Members of the upazila administration and joint forces took part in the effort.

Yesterday, from morning until afternoon, a task force conducted raids in areas around Sada Pathor. The drive led to the seizure of 12,000 cubic feet of illegally extracted stones from the nearby Kalairag area. 

In Kolabari union, electricity connections to several machines used for breaking stones were also cut off. The confiscated stones were later laid at Sada Pathor during the night.

The operation began last night (13 August) and was completed within hours, according to officials. Photo: TBS

"The district administration carried out the raid as part of regular enforcement drives. The army assisted in maintaining a peaceful situation. As it is a border area, the army went as far as it could within its jurisdiction. The stones were restored to Sada Pathor at night," said Companiganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Azizunnahar.

The restoration effort followed a coordination meeting between district and divisional administrations at the Sylhet Circuit House yesterday evening. Sylhet Deputy Commissioner Sher Mahbub Murad said the meeting decided on five measures to stop stone looting and restore stolen stones to Sada Pathor:

1. Joint forces to be deployed 24/7 in the Jaflong ECA and Sada Pathor areas.

2. Continuous presence of joint forces at police check-posts in Gowainghat and Companiganj.

3. Continuation of drives to shut down illegal crushing machines and disconnect their electricity supply.

4. Identification, arrest, and prosecution of those involved in stone theft.

5. Recovery and reinstatement of stolen stones to their original location.

Stone looting in Sylhet's quarries began after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on 5 August last year. 

Quarries had remained closed since 2020 under government orders, but thousands of stone workers began openly extracting stones, allegedly under the backing of BNP and its affiliated organisations. 

While most quarries saw widespread looting, Sada Pathor, known as a tourist hotspot, was initially less affected. However, large-scale looting resumed there on 23 April this year, and over the past week alone, about 80% of the site's stones were removed.

Sada Pathor is located on the banks of the Dhalai River, near the zero point of the Bangladesh-India border in Bholaganj, Companiganj upazila. Spread over 15 acres, the tourist attraction is famed for its flowing streams over countless small and large stones, drawing thousands of visitors from home and abroad daily. With the looting, many tourists have expressed disappointment over the site's current state.