Sylhet Correspondent:

For decades, Bholaganj’s Sada Pathor — a broad, shallow stretch of the Dholai river where smooth white stones gleam like pearls has been one of Sylhet’s most popular tourist spots.

On Wednesday large swathes of the riverbed resemble a ravaged quarry, scarred with pits and mud, with the iconic white boulders almost entirely gone.

“This is no random depletion. The stones are being extracted through organised looting, carried out on a massive scale and backed by politically influential figures,” said Advocate Shah Shaheda Akhter, divisional coordinator of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA).

Abdul Karim Kim, member secretary of Dhoritri Rokhhay Amra (DHORA) in Sylhet said, “This looting is not only politically backed. The illegal extraction in Companiganj and Gowainghat upazilas accelerated after the Awami League government was ousted on August 5 last year.

“Over the past year, as the interim government and local administration failed to safeguard natural stone reserves, looters have expanded operations from quarries and hillocks into legally protected zones, including the ropeway and Sada Pathor tourist areas,” he added.

The Zero Point area of Jaflong in Gowainghat is also reportedly on the brink of devastation, with residents claiming looting intensifies under cover of darkness.

Environmental groups estimate the plunder is worth hundreds of crores of taka, though the administration admits to having no official valuation, Abdul Karim said.

Videos shared by locals show hundreds of small “Barki” boats ferrying labourers, who wade into the riverbed with spades to haul stones into piles. Excavators have also been deployed to dig deep pits, reaching stone layers beneath the riverbed.

“Whoever owns a boat owns the stones,” said Jamal Miah, a local boat owner. “They are all part of the syndicate behind the extraction and looting.”

During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, the then government cancelled leases for all Sylhet quarries after decades of illegal extraction using heavy machinery. But on January 13 this year, the High Court overturned that order, reopening the door for stone lifting.

On April 27, the government decided to suspend the lease of 17 stone quarries out of 51 in the country.

“No leases will be given for quarries that are under court injunctions or located within declared Ecologically Critical Areas (ECA),” the government said.

On June 14, Energy Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan and Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan visited Jaflong. On their return journey, hundreds of locals blocked their motorcade demanding withdrawal of the order.

Soon afterwards, transport workers under the banner of Sylhet District Road Transport Owners-Workers Unity Council called repeated transport strikes to pressure the government.

“I see an all-party consensus when it comes to stone extraction,” Rizwana Hasan said on Monday.

“For the past four years, I was able to halt stone extraction in Jaflong, but now, even as an adviser, I’m unable to do so. I saw no unity when it came to protecting Jaflong. This is the reality of Bangladesh,” she added.

In response Abdul Karim Kim said, “When an adviser says something like that, it gives the local administration a perfect excuse to relax vigilance — handing the syndicate a golden opportunity to loot.”

Several locals, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the previous syndicate had operated under a controlled system, employing registered workers through subcontractors.

Now, they claim, the field has been opened to anyone, with stones purchased at half the regular price, fuelling a looting frenzy at Sada Pathor and Jaflong’s Zero Point.

Locals alleged that Shahab Uddin, president of the Companiganj upazila BNP, has long been involved in the stone syndicate and took over the newly formed network after the fall of the previous government.

Under mounting criticism, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Monday suspended Shahab Uddin over allegations of immoral activities.

“BNP does not support such immoral acts as looting,” said Abdul Quiyum Chowdhury, president of Sylhet District BNP.

“Anyone involved will be suspended from the party.”

Azizunnahar, upazila nirbahi officer of Companiganj said, “Stone looting is a heinous crime. Since August 5 last year, we have conducted four joint drives against illegal stone extraction. Tomorrow, we will conduct another drive in the Sada Pathor area.”

Muhammad Sher Mahbub Murad, deputy commissioner of Sylhet on Wednesday said, “Our vigilance and drives continue, but the situation is disappointing. We have formed a probe committee headed by an additional deputy commissioner, who has been asked to submit a report as soon as possible. We have also called a coordination meeting on Thursday to address the situations at Sada Pathor and Jaflong.”