Selim Talukder from Shahzadpur:

A mobile court on Wednesday arrested two dredger workers and sentenced them to a month of imprisonment for extracting sands illegally from Karatoa river nearby Badalbari Mazar area under Habibullahnagor union in Shahzadpur upazila of Sirajganj district.

The convicted are: Abu Hanif Shikder, 52, son of Abdul Gafur Shikder of Sakali village in Nagorpur upazila of Tangail district and Nantu Mian, 30, son of Momin Matabbar of Bahara village in Char Bhadrasan upazila of Faridpur district.

Shahzadpur upazila administration led by Assistant Commissioner (Land) Md Mushfikur Rahman conducted the mobile court.

File photo of one of the dredgers, which was used to lifting sands illegally. Photo: TDS

It is to be mentioned that, a section of illegal sand traders has become reckless and involved with extracting sands illegally from different rivers including Jamuna, Karatoa and Baral without any legal process or permission.

As a result, river erosion has been taken serious turn at different points in the upazila centering the illegal sand lifting. Many homesteads and croplands have already been damaged, while many others are under threat of erosion.

Md Kamruzzaman, UNO of Shahzadpur upazila told The Daily Sky that, “No illegal activity in context of sand lifting would be tolerated by the upazila administration. So, such type of drive will be continued in future.