Sylhet Correspondent:

The High Court has directed that all the looted white stones from Bholaganj in Sylhet’s Companiganj upazila must be returned to their original location within seven days.
The court also ordered the submission of a list identifying those responsible for the looting.
The order came on Thursday (August 14) during the hearing of a writ petition by the High Court bench of Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque and Justice Ainun Nahar Siddika. Advocate Manzill Murshid represented the petitioner during the hearing.
In a separate but related development, another writ petition seeking legal action against those responsible for the illegal stone extraction will be heard on Sunday (August 17). The hearing will be conducted by the High Court bench of Justice Fahmida Khatun and Justice Syed Zahid Munir. Advocate Mir AKM Nurun Nabi presented the petition in court.
The second writ petition calls for the government to take appropriate legal measures against those involved and to deploy additional law enforcement personnel in the affected area to prevent further incidents.
It is alleged that following the change in government on August 5, 2024, illegal stone extraction has surged in Companiganj and Gowainghat upazilas over the past year. Large quantities of stones have reportedly been extracted in broad daylight in the presence of local authorities, who failed to take any preventive action—raising concerns from various quarters.