Lohagara Correspondent :
A syndicate is illegally extracting sands from several canals including Lohagara Dhulu, Sarai, Chanda, Saraiya in the upazila. For the past 10 years in Lohagara, illegal sand extraction has been going unabated allegedly under the leadership of Sramik League leader Nurul Haque Nunu. Nunu’s daily earning exceeds a huge amount of money counting about Tk 3-4 lakh through illegally extracting sand and extorting toll from sand carts. This extortion work is rampant in front of Putibila Union Parishad on Darbesh Hat DC Road next to Chunti Chambi Lake, using receipts given to the sand carts.
Nunu was close to former MP Abu Reza Nadvi. So there was no administrative or any other kind of hindrance in his illegal activities. In return, it is rumored that a portion of Nunu’s illegal income reaches MP Navi.
After the defeat of Abu Reza Nadvir in the last parliamentary elections, illegal sand extraction and extortion from sand carts were stopped at the direction of the current MP MA Motaleb. This brought relief to the locals. MP Motaleb then got bless of local people. How, it did not continue, and mining sand illegally resumes after some months by Nurul Haque Nunu again.
Due to illegal and reckless extraction of sand by dredgers, some villages of Chunti and Putibila around Dolu and Saraikhal have already turned into desert. As the water level goes down, no land is cultivated in those areas. Due to the possibility of an earthquake at any time, the administration ordered to stop all sand extraction from the canals. But since the last 2 months, sand extraction and extortion have started again.
Jubo League leader Morshed Alam Chowdhury auctioned some of the sand seized two months ago. No one else is allowed to participate in the auction on the day of the auction. Since then the work of sand extraction and extortion is now under the control of Morshed Alam Chowdhury. But still the work is going on with the receipt of Nurul Haque Nunu. Morshed Alam Chowdhury’s elder brother Khorshed Alam Chowdhury has become the upazila chairman candidate in the upcoming upazila elections. Morshed Alam Chowdhury does not want to be controversial for the time being because of the opinion of the local people, so he is solving the extortion job with Nurul Haque Nunu.
Although the sand is mined illegally day and night, the upazila administration conducts raids once in 1-2 months and seizes the sand. One party leases that impounded sand.
When Upazila Nirbahi Officer Inamul Hasan was contacted on mobile about illegal sand extraction, he said, “We have various tasks. Only 2-3 people extract sand illegally. In that case, if the local people catch the sand lifters and hand them over to us, we will be able to take action easily”.