Sada Pathor: 2,000 people sued over stone looting, authorities inform HC
The Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources and the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change have submitted a report to the court, detailing the steps taken in line with its directive
Some 1,500-2,000 unidentified people have been sued for their involvement in the large-scale looting of stones from the Sada Pathor area in Sylhet's Bholaganj earlier this month, the government has informed the High Court.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change and the Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources submitted a report to the bench of Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque and Justice Aynun Nahar Siddiqua today (28 August), detailing the steps taken in line with its directive.
According to the report, legal proceedings were initiated against the accused in line with the Mines and Mineral Resources (Control and Development) Act of 1992 and the Mines and Mineral Resources Rules of 2012.
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It said that a case was registered on 15 August at Companiganj Police Station following the ministries' directive, over the involvement of 1,500-2,000 unidentified people in the looting of stones from the Bholaganj quarry starting from 5 August.
In line with the court's instructions, the government on 21 August also formed a six-member committee, headed by the additional secretary (operations) of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, to estimate and tackle the environmental and financial losses caused by the looting.
The deputy commissioner (DC) of Sylhet district, in an affidavit, informed the court that the process of restoring the looted stones was underway, a list of those responsible was being prepared, and surveillance in the quarry area had been intensified.
On 14 August, after hearing a petition by the environmental organisation Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, the High Court ordered the authorities and respondents of the petition to recover the looted stones within a week with the assistance of local administration and law enforcement and return them to the Sada Pathor area.
The court also directed the Sylhet DC, Border Guard Bangladesh, Rapid Action Battalion, and others to prepare a list of those involved in the looting and submit it in affidavit form within 15 days.
Additionally, the secretaries of the environment and mineral resources ministries were tasked with forming an expert committee, which will include a Buet professor, and submitting its findings within two months on the extent of damage.
The local administration and the respondents were directed to form a monitoring team within 48 hours to ensure day-and-night supervision in the area and to submit a report to the court within two weeks.
