Staff Correspondent
Around 1,500–2,000 people have looted white stones from Bholaganj in Sylhet. In connection with this incident, the High Court has instructed that cases be filed against 2,000 individuals under the Mineral Resources (Control and Development) Act, 1992, and Rule 93(1) of the 2012 regulations.
On Thursday (28 August), the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Environment submitted this report to the High Court. The report was presented before the High Court bench comprising Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque and Justice Ainun Nahar Siddiqua.
The report states that the looting occurred from 5 August at the gazetted Bholaganj stone quarry in the Kompani Ganji area. Following the ministry’s instructions, a case (No. 09) was filed on 15 August at the Kompani Ganji police station under the Mineral Resources Act and relevant sections of the Penal Code.
To assess the financial and environmental damage, a six-member expert committee, including a professor from BUET, was formed under the convenership of the Additional Secretary. The Deputy Commissioner submitted an affidavit stating that restoration work is ongoing, the list of responsible individuals is being prepared, and monitoring of the quarry area continues.
Following a public interest petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, the High Court on 14 August ordered the local administration and law enforcement agencies to recover and restore the looted stones. The court also instructed the formation of a 48-hour day-and-night monitoring team and submission of a report within two weeks.
The Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Mineral Resources have been asked to form a special committee to submit a report to the High Court within two months, detailing the financial damage caused to the environment due to the removal of the stones.