Katarkona Bridge at Risk: Madrasa student dies in illegal sand mining incident in Kulaura
Moulvibazar Correspondent :
Consecutive deaths continue to occur in the Manu River due to illegal sand mining, in blatant disregard of government regulations.
The Kotarkona Bridge on the Manu River was constructed by the leaseholder of Balu Mahal. A 17-year-old madrasa student, Naeem Hossain, has died after drowning in a hole created by illegal sand extraction using a dredger machine and trawler. The incident took place in the Kotarkona Bridge area on Friday.
After the incident, there was a fear of death among the people living along the riverbank. Meanwhile, on receiving the news, a day-long mobile court was set up in the Kotarkona Bridge area under the leadership of Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Nirbahi Magistrate Md. Anisul Islam on Saturday.
The operation was conducted Kulaura Police Station assisted in the operation. During the operation, 5 dredger machines, 2 trawlers and various equipment belonging to the lessee of Balu Mahal were seized by the chairman of the local Hajipur Union Parishad, Nur Ahmed. Chowdhury Bulbul was taken into custody. Earlier, the upazila administration fined Nazmun Nahar Lipi, the current lessee of Balumahal, about 4 lakh taka in several rounds of raids by the administration.
Local people said that a week ago, 14 students from Madhabpur Noagaon Talimul Quran Madrasa in Kamalganj Upazila came to Manu Katarkona Kawmi Madrasa in Kulaura Upazila to participate in the Befaq board examination.
Naeem and his associates went missing after drowning in a huge hole while bathing in the Manu River in the Kotarkona Bridge area with three friends on Friday morning.
Later, when the madrasa was informed, the madrasa authorities and local people rushed to the spot for about two hours.
At one stage of the search, three students were rescued alive, but Naeem was found dead.
The deceased Naeem is the son of Hossain Ali of Uttar Kanaidesi area of Islampur union in Kamalganj upazila.
Locals alleged that the Manu River The current leaseholder Nazmun Nahar Lipi and his associate Deepak Dey are illegally extracting sand from the land. As a result, the Roads and Highways Department has constructed a road over the Manu River on the Brahmanbazar-Shamsernagar road in Hajipur and Tilagaon Unions.
The Katarkona Bridge is under extreme threat. The sand and soil around the pillars on the other side of the bridge have shifted, creating a huge hole. For the past few years, people in the affected area have been forming human chains and protest meetings to protect the bridge, including the District Administrator.
They also submitted memorandums to various departments. They said that with the help of a local group, the leaseholder gang is freely digging 40-50 feet of the riverbed and extracting sand and doing a booming business. This has created a death pit on the riverbed.
Big deep potholes Accidents happen here every year, but the administration has not taken any effective action. In 2022, a student drowned in a pothole near the Kotarkona Bridge area while coming for a picnic, in 2023 a pedestrian, in 2010 In 2011, Ladin Hossain (8), son of Anush Mia, a resident of Kotarkona area, and Marjan Ahmed (12), son of deceased Ason Ali of the same village, drowned in a deep hole in the Manu River.
On the spot, locals During the conversation, it was learned that Nazmun Nahar Lipi, wife of Habiganj Jubo League leader Selim Ahmed, took out a lease on the Balumahal on the Manu River this year.
However, the lease policy for the Balumahal on the Manu River mentioned that both sides of the bridge built on the river No sand can be extracted within about 1 kilometer of the site.
But leaseholder Nazmun Naharlipi and his associate Deepak De Gong violated that condition and illegally extracted sand from the side of the Kotarkona Bridge using one dredger after another.
Due to which the Kotarkona Bridge is under extreme threat. Regarding the complaint, Deepak De, a business associate of Nazmun Nahar Lipi, the current lessee of Balumahal, said, “Manu drowned in the hole created by the extraction of sand from the river.”
The family of the deceased student will be compensated. From now on, sand mining will be carried out in accordance with government rules. Hajipur Union Parishad member Md. Mustafizur Rahman said, “This is not just an accident, it is a direct result of illegal sand mining.”
“Following this, the administration has been informed many times, but no permanent action has been taken. The leaseholder is showing the administration the thumbs up and digging the riverbed 40-50 feet deep and extracting sand. The Kotarkona Bridge has been in the works for a long time.
The lives of people living on the banks of the river are now under threat due to illegal sand mining in the area. In this regard, Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Nirrbahi Magistrate Md. Anisul Islam said that the mobile court conducted a raid and seized 5 properties of the lessee.