Moulvibazar Correspondent :
Massive illegal extraction and looting of sand worth approximately Tk 27 crore are taking place from the Balumahal (sand quarry) of the Manu River in Kulaura upazila of Moulvibazar. Despite the expiry of the lease nearly two years ago, the former lessee continues to extract and sell sand, allegedly evading government revenue.
Sources say a conspiracy is underway involving Deepak Dey, the former lessee, and the current lessee, Nazmun Nahar Lipi wife of Selim Ahmed from Chunarughat upazila in Habiganj district. Although Nazmun Nahar Lipi officially holds the lease for the 1432 Bengali year, Deepak Dey has reportedly been selling around 10 million cubic feet of previously extracted sand from his time as lessee—illegally and without government authorization.
On various roads in Hajipur, Prithimpasa, and Tilagaon unions of the upazila, overloaded 10-wheeled dumper trucks, carrying 30–40 tons of sand, are operating in violation of the law.
This has severely damaged local roads, causing cracks and compromising structural stability.
Local residents argue that since Deepak Dey’s lease expired at the end of the 1430 Bengali year, it is now unlawful for him to sell the stored sand. They demand that the government auction the sand officially, which would generate significant revenue.
According to records, the government earns crores of taka annually from the Balumahal adjacent to the Katarkona market on the Manu River. During his lease period, Deepak Dey had installed illegal dredgers near the Katarkona Bridge to extract sand around the clock—despite the presence of critical establishments nearby, such as markets, schools, mosques, and government offices.
Reports suggest that Deepak Dey, leveraging political connections with influential Awami League leaders, stockpiled several crore cubic feet of sand at various sites including Sadhanpur, Konimura, and Harichak. Much of this sand remained unsold during his lease period. According to government policy, sand extracted within the lease period but not sold must be disposed of through official auction after the lease expires.
However, Deepak Dey, allegedly in collusion with Nazmun Nahar Lipi, has been illegally selling the stored sand while falsely citing political connections to mislead locals.
In an official arrangement, Nazmun Nahar Lipi appointed local businessman Abdul Hasib as the sand site’s administrator on May 8 to oversee operations. But following alleged threats from Nazmun Nahar, her husband Selim Ahmed, and Deepak Dey, Abdul Hasib filed case No. 179/2025 at the Kulaura Senior Assistant Judge’s Court. The court issued an interim injunction against both parties, barring any activity in the sand quarry until September 4.
Hasib also issued a legal notice through Advocate Kamal Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury of the Moulvibazar Judge Court. Signboards displaying court orders were installed around the sand site on Tuesday but were later removed by Deepak Dey’s hired men, including a local named Suman.
Eyewitnesses report that massive piles of sand can still be seen at 5–6 locations along the river. From morning to night, 10-wheeled trucks are seen transporting sand from these stockpiles. Locals claim that both the former and current lessees are profiting from selling this illegally stockpiled sand, causing significant damage to LGED roads and river embankments across Tilagaon, Salon, Hajipur, Konimura, Harichak, and Sadhanpur.
There are serious concerns that, with monsoon season approaching, the movement of overloaded trucks over riverbanks and embankments could cause severe erosion and infrastructure collapse. On Monday night, when locals in Konimura protested by blocking trucks, they were reportedly attacked by individuals associated with the lessee.
In response to the allegations, Deepak Dey claimed that due to complications in 1430, he was unable to remove all the sand during his lease. He stated that the sand is now being transported in partnership with the current lessee for “government development purposes.”
Attempts to reach current leaseholder Nazmun Nahar Lipi were unsuccessful. Her husband, Selim Ahmed, could not be reached as his mobile phone remained switched off.
Mohammad Matiur Rahman, Deputy Assistant Officer of the Hajipur Union Land Office, confirmed that approximately 55 million cubic feet of sand had been previously extracted, worth an estimated Tk 27 crore at current market prices. He admitted that both current and former lessees have engaged in illegal sand extraction without government approval.
Assistant Commissioner (Land), Shah Jaharul Hossain, said, “There is no legal provision to sell or move sand after the lease has expired. Following reports of illegal sand sales, we raided the site and brought the sand under administrative control.” A red warning flag has now been placed on the seized sand, he added.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue), Shahina Akhter, assured that appropriate action would be taken after a full investigation. “We will not allow anyone to exploit public resources illegally,” she said.
