Influential people cut down a government road and lifted the soil for using it in a brickfield that was set up without permission at the Nalkata area under Panchhari upazila of the Khagrachhari district.
As a result, the only road between the Khagrachhari district headquarters and Panchhari has become vulnerable and might result in a mudslide at any time crippling communications.
However, mysteriously the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) remains silent instead of taking actions against the culprits.
Local sources said they are the owner of the road and 30 feet of adjacent areas on both sides. Last whole week four influential individuals including, Monir Ahmed, Saddam Hossain, Anil Chakma and Samor Bikash Chakma cut down government roads ignoring laws.
Neither the RHD nor the district administration has taken any actions against them, they added.
“They collected and stalked soil, by cutting down the road which may result in a mudslide at any time and cripple communication, they added”.
The brickfield’s owner Monir Ahmed, Saddam Hossain, Anil Chakma and Samor Bikash Chakma admitted that they did stalk the soil just adjacent to the government road.
“Labours, who we hired for collecting the soil that they stalked last year have mistakenly cut down the government street,” they said, and added that they would fill the place up and repair it as early as possible.
Deputy Commissioner, Md Masud Karim admitted the incident and told the Dhaka Tribune that he had sent a mobile court led by executive magistrate Mohammad Asaduzzaman on Sunday afternoon, but the culprits ran away sensing the presence of the law.
The same magistrate also went to their brickfield but found that shut down, DC said.
“I asked RHD authority to take stern actions against the road plunders, he added”.
Executive Engineer of Khagrachhari district’s RHD Mohammad Ismail Hossain said he would take action against the culprits after consulting with the deputy commissioner but refused to disclose how much time he needs in this regard.
