Sada Pathor looting: Investigation committee names 137 in report

A committee formed to investigate the looting of stones from Bholaganj's Sada Pathor in Companiganj Upazila of Sylhet district has submitted its report, naming the involvement of 137 people and proposing 10 recommendations to prevent future looting.

The report was submitted yesterday (20 August) afternoon at the Deputy Commissioner's Office by the committee head and Additional Deputy Commissioner Padmasan Singha.

The outgoing DC Mohammad Sher Mahbub Murad endorsed the submission.

"The report lists 137 people involved in the looting, most of whom are political party leaders and activists. It also includes 10 recommendations to stop such incidents in the future," he said.

The report will now be forwarded to the Cabinet Division.

The seven-page probe report follows severe criticism over the looting of around one million cubic feet of Sada Pathor from Bholaganj.

The committee included Afzalul Islam, Assistant Director of the Department of Environment in the district, and the recently transferred Companiganj UNO Azizunnahar, whose inclusion sparked criticism due to her failure to prevent the looting.

Initially due on 17 August, the committee was granted a three-day extension.

Amid criticism, DC Murad was made Officer on Special Duty and the UNO was transferred on 18 August.

Earlier, the Bureau of Mineral Development filed a case against 1,500–2,000 suspects.

Following a High Court intervention, recovered stones were reinstated at their original sites.

Subsequently, joint operations in Sylhet and Narayanganj recovered over 5,00,000 cubic feet of looted stone.

Additionally, Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan held the local administration responsible for looting the stones.