Stone rage!
Sylhet Correspondent :
The High Court (HC) Division has directed the preparation of a comprehensive master plan to conserve and manage 17 stone quarries in Sylhet and Bandarban as sustainable eco-tourism zones.
The Court issued a rule seeking explanations from the relevant authorities on why the continued destructive and illegal extraction from seven quarries in Sylhet—Jaflong, Shah Arefin Tila, Bholaganj, Utmachara, Sreepur, Bichnakandi, and Lovachara—and ten quarries in Bandarban’s Jhiri-Chhara area should not be declared unconstitutional, unauthorised,
and against public interest.
The bench also asked why these quarries should not be designated as ecologically critical areas, and why legal action and recovery of compensation should not be initiated against those responsible.
Immediate measures have been ordered to halt illegal extraction. The Director General of the Mineral Resources Development Bureau, the Divisional Commissioner of Sylhet, and the Deputy Commissioners of Sylhet and Bandarban have been instructed to formulate a master plan for eco-friendly tourism development within three months. Additionally, a full list of individuals involved in unlawful quarrying must be submitted along with an action report.
The Divisional Commissioner and Sylhet DC have been summoned to provide in-person explanations regarding extraction activities since August 2024. The implementation report on these directives must also be filed within three months. The order, delivered by Justices Kazi Jinat Haque and Ainun Nahar Siddika, followed a public interest litigation (PIL No. 13485/2025) filed by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA).
The government had previously identified 51 stone- and sand-rich areas in 2013, including Sylhet, Sunamganj, Lalmonirhat, Panchagarh, and Bandarban. Extraction was halted in 2020 due to environmental concerns but resumed in 2025, leading to widespread destructive mining, particularly in Sylhet.
Following media reports, the Ministry of Power and Mineral Resources held a meeting on 27 April 2025, deciding that Jaflong, Shah Arefin Tila, and the ten Bandarban Jhiri-Chhara quarries would remain off-limits for leasing. Operations at Bholaganj, Utmachara, Sreepur, Bichnakandi, and Lovachara would remain suspended.
Other quarries would require environmental clearance before leasing, while mobile court drives and law enforcement checkpoints would target not only workers but also financiers behind illegal extraction. District administrations are required to submit regular compliance reports and prepare tourism plans around quarry-adjacent areas.
Meanwhile, Sylhet DC Md Sarwar Alam has ordered traders to return illegally extracted white stones by 26 August. Over 100 trucks of stones were voluntarily returned under police and magistrate supervision between Saturday night and Sunday noon. Public announcements have urged full compliance, with the administration warning of strict action, including against public representatives, for any violations.
Defendants in the case include multiple ministries, the Department of Environment, Mineral Resources Development Bureau, Water Development Board, Sylhet Divisional Commissioner, and the Deputy Commissioners and SPs of Sylhet and Bandarban. BELA was represented by Advocate Minhajul Haque Chowdhury and Advocate S. Hasanul Banna, while DAG Muha. Ershadul Bari Khandaker appeared for the state.