Divided by ideology, united by environmental destruction: How inter-party ‘consensus’ stripped Bholaganj of iconic white stones
In the Bholaganj case, almost all parties including the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, NCP, and Islami Andolan took a stand in favour of reopening quarries, ignoring environmental consequences
Recently, Shada Pathor, a popular tourist spot in Bholaganj of Sylhet, has experienced unprecedented looting of stones. The area is now almost desolate, scarred and damaged.
"I stopped stone extraction in Jaflong for four years, but now, even after being an adviser, I could not prevent it," Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser on forestry and climate change, said at a seminar on 26 July.
So, why couldn't she stop it?
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Before the July Uprising of 5 August last year, control over the stone quarries of Bholaganj — like those in Jaflong — was in the hands of Awami League leaders and activists. Even after the Awami League lost power, the looting of stones did not stop. In the Bholaganj case, almost all parties, including the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, NCP, and Islami Andolan, took a stand in favour of reopening the quarries.
"I am witnessing a cross-party unity in stone extraction. If anyone wants to learn how to take something beautiful in hand and ruin it, they must come to Bangladesh. I saw an exquisitely beautiful place, Jaflong, being destroyed right before my eyes. I witnessed sheer devastation," Rizwana said.
It is a striking irony: political leaders who are struggling to agree on reforms or reach a consensus on major national issues have found common ground. Without much critical discussion or deliberation, they have come together to merely defy the government.
"The stone quarries that the people of this region once considered a sacred trust have been shut down, kicking 1 million people in the stomach."
The government's (failed) efforts
Because of a case filed by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), leases for the stone quarries remained suspended for four years. On 18 February 2020, the Energy and Mineral Resources Division of the Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources ordered a halt to stone extraction from all quarries in the country until further notice.
However, on 13 January this year, the mineral resources ministry decided to lift the suspension order. This raised concerns at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Later, on 27 April, Adviser Rizwana Hasan presented the harmful effects of stone extraction in Sylhet, considering its value as a tourist destination.
The meeting decided to keep leases for 17 out of the country's 51 quarries suspended. Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury promised that law enforcement agencies would take a hardline stance against stone extraction and transportation. The administration carried out regular drives to stop it. Mobile courts were set up, and offenders were even given prison sentences.
"It is time to investigate whether those who have halted stone and sand extraction in the name of protecting the environment have any other agenda."
However, leaders of political parties could not be stopped.
The inter-party unity
On 14 June, Power and Energy Adviser Muhammad Faozul Kabir Khan and Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan arrived at the Ecologically Critical Area (ECA) of Jaflong, hoping to inspect the site and assess its environmental situation.
But they did not get far. A crowd of local BNP and Chhatra Dal leaders blocked their motorcade, demanding the reopening of the stone quarries. The advisers were held up for hours as protesters staged a noisy, determined demonstration.
What began as a tense standoff soon evolved into a full-blown political storm. Despite initial drives to curb stone extraction, pressure from political heavyweights, labour unions, and local influencers shifted the tide. In a remarkable show of unity, almost all political parties — including the BNP — joined forces to push for the quarries' reopening.
Movements sprang up across the region. Leaders from the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, NCP, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, and AB Party, together with stone-related business associations and labour unions, launched rallies, sit-ins and human chains.
On 24 June, during a human chain, Rezaul Hasan Kayes Lodi, acting president of Sylhet Metropolitan BNP, declared, "The stone quarries that the people of this region once considered a sacred trust have been shut down, kicking 1 million people in the stomach."
"We held a press conference last November and called on the environmental adviser and the interim government to open the stone quarries. Later, we raised the demand with various government circles. As a result, the stone quarries were opened."
Jamaat's Sylhet chief, Fakhrul Islam, questioned the motives behind the closures, "It is time to investigate whether those who have halted stone and sand extraction in the name of protecting the environment have any other agenda."
By mid-September last year, Islami Andolan's senior leader, Syed Muhammad Faizul Karim Charmonai, was warning of dire consequences if the stones were not extracted, "The river will silt up and cause floods. We must act to prevent Indian encroachment." Weeks later, he went further, claiming the closures served foreign interests and even threatening, "If necessary, stones will be extracted even by creating mobs."
The political backing was relentless. On 2 July, BNP adviser Ariful Haque Chowdhury voiced support for a sit-in by stone workers, accusing the administration of sabotaging local businesses.
Meanwhile, AB Party's Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuad recounted a successful campaign last year, where persistent pressure eventually reopened the quarries.
"If stone extraction is allowed across the country, why shouldn't it happen in Sylhet? People's lives and livelihoods are at stake."
"We held a press conference last November and called on the environmental adviser and the interim government to open the stone quarries. Later, we raised the demand with various government circles. As a result, the stone quarries were opened," he said.
Even government officials sided with the extractors. On 8 July, Sylhet Divisional Commissioner Khan Md Reza-un-Nabi met with stone business owners and transport workers, remarking, "If stone extraction is allowed across the country, why shouldn't it happen in Sylhet? People's lives and livelihoods are at stake."
Amidst the political rallies, human chains, and official endorsements, local media amplified the crisis, reporting that nearly 2 million workers had lost their livelihoods. What started as an environmental inspection had turned into a battle of politics, livelihoods and local pride — a story of stones, power, and the politics that shape them.
"The river will silt up and cause floods. We must act to prevent Indian encroachment… If necessary, stones will be extracted even by creating mobs."
Shah Saheda Akhtar, divisional coordinator of BELA-Sylhet, noted that this was not a political issue, yet political leaders have turned it into one.
"Such behaviour from politicians was not expected. If everyone stands united, it is possible to protect the white stones and restore the tourist spot to its former state," she said.
