Sylhet Correspondent :
In the Kolabari area of Kompangonj, Sylhet, the Upazila Administration conducted an operation against the controversial sadapathor from Sylhet-Bholaganj, which were allegedly being illegally crushed and trafficked.
On the night of Saturday, from 10 PM until late at night, the operation targeted various crusher mills. According to local mill owners, at least 25 trucks carrying approximately 13,000 cubic feet of crushed/broken stone were seized by the authorities.
The local sources estimated the value of the confiscated stones at around BDT 2,015,000. During the operation, one young man was also arrested from a local crusher mill office.
A mobile court sentenced him to six months in jail, as decided by the Upazila Administration.
It is worth noting that after the people’s uprising, sadapathor from Bholaganj and the Ropeway Bunker area were widely looted by local groups with the help of hired labourers from other areas.
When images of massive stone looting from tourist spots went viral on social media due to administrative inaction, the District Administration and the Ministry of Mineral Resources finally took action.
As a result, several cases were filed against those involved in the looting of sadapathor, and authorities recovered stones from locations as far as Dhaka and other parts of Sylhet, placing them back at the extraction sites.
After almost four months of inactivity, the stone looting gangs reportedly became active again, illegally collecting and crushing sadapathor in the Ropeway Bunker area.
Local sources claimed that the Upazila Administration of Kompangonj took notice, and the operation was conducted last night by UpazilaNirbahi Officer Mohammad Robin Mia, Land Officer Palash Talukder, and Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Ratan Sheikh PPM, with a team of police officers present.
During the operation, 4-5 crusher mills were destroyed, and around 25 truckloads of broken stones were seized from the yards of 10 crusher mills.
Regarding the operation, Upazila Land Officer Palash Talukder confirmed that approximately 10 trucks of broken stones were recovered. He added that the seized stones were not kept under administration custody but were distributed for various development projects across the Upazila upon request.
However, a local eyewitness claimed that at least 20-22 trucks of stones were reportedly taken through the administration and were supposed to be delivered to the Sylhet Police Line and local mosques and madrasas.
Mysteriously, nearly half of the stones, estimated at around BDT 1 million in value, appear to have gone missing. This has led to widespread speculation about the disappearance of the seized stones during the night.
