Rampant stone extraction at Sada Pathor: ACC holds local administration responsible

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has pointed to glaring administrative failure in the unprecedented looting of stones from Sada Pathor area in Sylhet's Companiganj upazila.

Officials said local authorities should have acted far more decisively to protect the ecologically fragile tourism site.

An ACC team inspected the site in Companyganj upazila today (13 August), finding hundreds of crores of taka worth of state-owned stones stripped away. 

"This is primarily the responsibility of the local administration," said ACC Sylhet Deputy Director Rafi Md Nazmus Sadat after the inspection. 

"They should have been more alert and proactive. Agencies like the Bureau of Mineral Development also had a duty to intervene," he said.

The riverbed now lies scarred with pits, debris, and lifeless sand, alarming both visitors and locals. The looting has dealt a severe blow to the local tourist economy, with visitors leaving Sada Pathor disappointed and disheartened. 

Powerful figures and ineffective oversight

Sadat noted that stone-crushing mills nearby, influential local figures, and high-level business interests were reportedly involved in the plunder. The ACC will forward its inspection report to headquarters to determine next steps, including potential legal action.

Over the past 15 days, looting escalated, with thousands of labourers ferrying stones, sand, and soil from the riverbanks in hundreds of boats. 

Sporadic administrative measures, occasional patrols, and inspections proved largely ineffective. Limited authority, bureaucratic delays, and poor coordination allowed the looting to continue largely unchecked.

The ACC's inspection came after most of the damage was done, underscoring systemic challenges. 

Sadat explained: "We act strictly on instructions from headquarters. Sada Pathor is distant from our office, and our manpower is limited. Continuous monitoring and enforcement are extremely difficult under these constraints."

Companyganj police rejected negligence claims. Officer-in-Charge Uzair Mahmud Adnan stated, "We conduct regular patrols and raids under magistrate-led task forces. Beyond that, our capacity to prevent daily looting is limited."

District administration forms inquiry committee

In response to the widespread looting at Sada Pathor, the district administration has formed an inquiry committee, headed by an Additional Deputy Commissioner.

District Commissioner Mohammad Sher Mahbub Murad confirmed the committee's formation yesterday.

He called the looting "deeply regrettable" and instructed the committee to determine what happened and why. A detailed review meeting has been convened, with ongoing operations set to continue and further measures planned.

The looting intensified after the political upheaval of 5 August last year. While army and administrative intervention briefly halted the activity, heavy stone flows from Meghalaya's hills late last month reignited the looting.

Local BNP leaders, including Companyganj Upazila BNP president Shahab Uddin, have been linked to the plunder. 

Shahab Uddin was suspended by the party on Monday (11 August), and rumours implicate several other local and metropolitan figures.