Advisers Rizwana, Fouzul face protest by stone workers over quarry closure in Sylhet

Stone workers staged a protest in Sylhet's Jaflong today (14 June), blocking the vehicles of two government advisers after they announced that local stone quarries would not be reopened.

The incident occurred around noon after Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan and Energy Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan visited the Jaflong tourist area.

Speaking to journalists following the visit, the advisers said that no further leases would be issued for stone quarries in the region.

Moments after the announcement, a group of stone workers gathered and blocked the advisers' vehicles for about 10 minutes.

The situation led to a brief scuffle between the protesters and police, who later cleared the road and helped the advisers leave the area safely.

A group of stone workers gathered and blocked the advisers’ vehicles for about 10 minutes today (14 June). Photo: Collected

"During the advisers' visit, some workers gathered and tried to hold a procession. We immediately removed them and cleared the road," said Sarkar Mohammad Tofayel Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Gowainghat Police Station.

Gowainghat Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ratan Kumar Adhikari confirmed that the advisers' convoy reached Haripur Guest House without any further disturbance.

Earlier, during the visit, Adviser Fouzul told reporters that illegal stone extraction was severely damaging the environment in Jaflong and surrounding areas.

He added that electricity connections to illegal stone crushers would be disconnected.

Adviser Rizwana said the government had no plans to reopen any stone quarries in Sylhet. 

She added that the area would be redeveloped as a tourist destination, which would create alternative employment opportunities for local workers.

She also stated that legal action had already been taken against those involved in illegal sand and stone extraction in the Jaflong Ecologically Critical Area (ECA), and stricter enforcement would follow.

Ashraf Hossain, a stone worker from Jaflong, said, "With stone extraction suspended, thousands of workers are now unemployed. As a result, frustration is growing among them, and today's protest was an expression of that anger."

He added, "Even though legal stone extraction has stopped in Jaflong, looting continues. The government has suspended legal operations only to benefit those involved in illegal extraction."

In April, the government suspended the leasing process for 17 out of 51 stone quarries across the country due to environmental concerns.

No leases will be issued for quarries under court injunctions or located within declared ECAs, according to a previous statement from the Ministry of Environment.

After visiting Jaflong, the advisers were scheduled to visit the Bholaganj and Sada Pathor tourist areas in Companiganj upazila. However, both advisers cancelled this planned visit.

It has been reported that the visit to Bholaganj and Sada Pathor was cancelled following a protest by stone workers in Jaflong.

However, Environment Adviser Rizwana stated that the visit was not cancelled due to the protest but rather due to a lack of time.

Govt to halt stone extraction leases in Jaflong, announces Eco-Tourism Master Plan

Rizwana has said no more leases will be allotted for stone extraction in environmentally critical areas like Jaflong.

The government will consult stakeholders to explore sustainable eco-tourism models for these scenic areas, she told reporters.

Photo: Courtesy

She also said a comprehensive master plan will be developed to promote eco-friendly tourism in Jaflong and other tourist destinations in Sylhet and the master plan will prioritise creating alternative livelihood opportunities for workers currently involved in stone extraction.

Rizwana said the Ministries of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, and Environment, Forest and Climate Change will work in coordination to implement this plan.

Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan said due to the cessation of stone extraction in Jaflong, the existing stone crushers in the area will be removed. "Unauthorised extraction activities will remain strictly prohibited."

Secretary of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division Mohammad Saiful Islam, Sylhet Divisional Commissioner Khan Md Rezaul Nabi, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Sher Mahbub Murad, Superintendent of Police Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman, Divisional Forest Officer Md Humayun Kabir, and Director of the Department of Environment, Sylhet, Ferdous Anwar, were present there.

'Strict action against illegal stone extraction'

Speaking to reporters at the Sylhet Circuit House this afternoon after the visit to Jaflong, Rizwana said strict legal action will be taken against those who are illegally extracting stones, which are public resources.

She added that the police and district administration will conduct drives against those involved in such activities.

Rizwana further said, "The government suffers more damage due to the movement of overloaded trucks than it earns in revenue from stone quarries."

She mentioned that only 6% of the country's stone demand is met from domestic sources. "We cannot destroy our invaluable natural resources just to meet this small demand."

In response to another question, she said, "The amount of money needed to repair roads damaged by stone transportation is not even recovered from the revenue collected from the quarries."

Earlier, she held a meeting with officials from the Department of Environment, Forest Department, Water Development Board, and other relevant agencies to discuss environmental protection, forest conservation, and river and water management in the Sylhet region.

The environment adviser emphasised, "We must work collectively to preserve Sylhet's unique natural diversity." She highlighted the importance of coordination and information sharing among departments in protecting rivers and haors, managing dredged sand, and conserving hills and hillocks.

She issued directives to ban single-use plastics in government offices and instructed the installation of signboards indicating a prohibition on hill-cutting.

She also directed the Water Development Board to take action for flood control and instructed the Forest Department to prevent the cutting of akashmoni trees. Additionally, she urged the authorities to disconnect electricity supply to illegal stone crushing machines.

Earlier in the day, both advisers visited various sites in Jaflong by boat and discussed possible development plans.

They also planted tree saplings at the Jaflong Stone Museum and Haripur Rest House.