At least 21 sand banks under five upazilas are illegally operating under the surveillance of Khagracchari district administration, disrupting collection of revenue and leading roads to collapse.
According to locals, there are 26 sand banks in five hilly upazilas of the district of which eight are in Manikchhari, seven in Matiranga, six in Ramgarh, four in Khagracchari sadar and one in Panchhari upazila.
The district administration has given four sand banks on lease in Manikchhari and one in Khagrachhari sadar in fiscal year 2015-16. Influential locals including Awami League and BNP men are lifting sand from rest of the 21 sand banks illegally, they said.
Rahomot Ali, a villager of Gachchabil under Manikchhari upazila said AL leaders – Abul Kalam, Joynal Abedin, Labray Aung Marma and Chatradal leader Masum – have been illegally lifting sand from Gachchhabil, Dashbil, Barobil, Tulabil, Pannabil, Chenguchhara and Joggochola areas without taking lease.
Every day, more than 100 trucks of sands are sent to adjacent districts of Chittagong and Feni. Many roads have already broken while many houses are on the verge of collapse.
“We have submitted complaints to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer, who several times had conducted mobile court dives and realised fine. However, after a day or two, the scenario gets back to square one,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.
Anwar Hossain, a villager of Khedachhara under Matiranga upazila claimed that local AL leaders Shamsul Hoque and Rohomot Ali, and associates of BNP leader Tazul Islam were lifting sand illegally from Khedachhara, Gumti, Belchhari, Dalu, Hatiyapara and Baillachhari areas every day. None of them have taken lease, moreover the administration never took any action against them.
Nurul Alam, an AL leader of Ganjapara under Khagracchari sadar upazila, said BNP leader Joynal Abedin had been lifting sand from at least eight points in the district. He had been given lease of only one.
“Many houses, mosques have been marooned by river bank erosion due to the illegal sand lifting,” he alleged.
Mohammad Saju, a local journalist of Panchhari upazila said Awami League and BNP men along with employees of regional UPDF-JSS are lifting sand from Logung bank illegally. But no action had been taken by the administration even despite receiving complaints.
Khagrachhari Paribesh Andolan Forum President Mohammad Robiul Islam alleged that 21 out of the 26 sand banks were operating illegally.
“Government earned Tk25 lakh by giving five sand banks on lease, which indicates that the government had lost revenue of Tk1 crore from rest of the 21 sand banks,” he said.
Acting deputy commissioner Molla Muhammad Mizanur Rahman said: “Some formalities need to be done before declaring any spot as a sand bank. Maintaining all the criteria, we have already declared 12 spots as sand banks and five of them had been given on lease while rest of the seven are under process to be given on lease.”
“We have already investigated the other 14 spots through our UNOs. If criterias are met, we would announce those as sand banks by the next fiscal year,” he added.
Admitting about the illegal sand lifting at Ramgarh, Manikchhari, and Matiranga, he said executive magistrate had conducted drives and fined over Tk2 lakh. Such drives would continue in future.
