Bogura Correspondent:

Cropland is losing its fertility as the topsoil of triple-crop agricultural land in Fulbari union under Sariakandi upazila of Bogura is being sold to brick kilns. Even though landowners are trying their best to stop it, their objections are being ignored. As a result, the soil fertility is gradually declining in the union. To protect the cropland, local people have demanded intervention from the authority concerned. The local upazila administration says they will conduct an operation soon to stop the cutting of topsoil.

For the past several days, the topsoil of triple-crop farmland at Majhbari village in Fulbari union under Sariakandi upazila has been cut and sold to brick kilns. Then fertile soil is being loaded onto trucks and transported to various brick kilns.

According to allegations, farmers of Majhbari village, including Mizanur Rahman Pintu, Ziaur Rahman Molla, and Abu Bakkar Siddiq, have sold the soil. Abdul Molla and Abu Bakkar Siddiq of the same village are cutting and transporting the soil. In the same area, the topsoil of about 50 decimals of land has been cut over the last few days, leaving the land three to four feet deep. To transport the soil by truck, roads have been constructed across several agricultural fields, causing damage to those lands. In addition, due to soil transportation, the rural road from Gohati to Ramchandrapur in Fulbari union has also been damaged. The road, which had been repaired recently, has developed small and large potholes at various points.

Farmers complain that they tried to prevent the cutting of soil from agricultural land, but people from the brick kilns are forcibly taking it away. They fear that during the monsoon season, their lands may collapse. Moreover, soil fertility is declining day by day as the topsoil of farmland is being sold to brick kilns. Under the Balumahal and Soil Management Act, cutting topsoil from agricultural land is a punishable offence, with provisions for up to two years of imprisonment. On one hand, agricultural land is decreasing; on the other, soil fertility is being reduced. Farmers say that crop yields on these lands will drop in the future.

Local farmer Shahidul Islam Majnu said that for the past several days, there has been a rush to sell soil around his land. Soil is being cut and sold to various brick kilns. As a result, the adjacent land next to his field has become four feet deep, and he fears that his land will collapse during the monsoon. Farmers staged protests, but the soil is still being taken away by force. The village’s paved road has been completely damaged. They are seeking remedies from the administration.

Sariakandi Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sumaiya Ferdous said that cutting the topsoil of cropland is a punishable offence under the law. She stated that an operation will be carried out very soon and necessary legal measures will be taken to stop the cutting of agricultural topsoil.