Safety of hundreds of workers employed at Bholaganj stone quarry in Companyganj of Sylhet are completely neglected resulting in frequent deaths and accidents.
Recently at least five workers died due to landslide and lack of safety measures. Such deaths are a frequent occurrence throughout the year but they are not always properly reported, alleged workers at the quarry.
Dangerous stone extraction, landslide, border crossing and stealing stones at night are some of the main reasons behind the deaths.
Though the Bholaganj stone quarry is the biggest in the country and employs more than one lakh workers, the safety standard here is at minimum.
Locals said lack of awareness of both the stone pit owners and workers are to be blamed for such poor safety measures.
Moreover, there is also no government regulation on stone mining. This allows owners to dodge any responsibility and not compensate the victims.
Abdul Alim, a stone collector, said his job was a very dangerous one. “I am in constant fear of landslide or falling into the pit. But we do not get any compensation.”
According to sources, a number of workers lost their lives in the quarry in the last couple of years. On July 25, 2014 a worker named Zohur Ahmed, 40, was killed by an Ansar member when he went to collect stones at night.
Saleh Ahmed, 20, a resident of Islampur union, died in a landslide on January 20 of 2015.
The five people that recently died are Moin, 40, Dana Mia, 42, Delwar, 24, Selim 42, and Chandan, 30. They all were killed when their make-shift shanties near the stone pits caved in due to landslide, which is common given the nature of the quarry and stone lifting.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mohammad Rokon Uddin said he held a meeting with the owners after the recent deaths. He urged them not to build houses for the workers near the pits and ensure safety of the workers.
Advocate Shah Shaheda, divisional coordinator of Bangladesh Environment Lawyers' Association (BELA), said there was a High Court restriction on using dredgers to lift stones. However, pit owners were still using the machine risking lives of the workers.
Earlier, stones used to extracted manually from the surface. Armed with shovels and wicker baskets, the workers would carry the stones in small boats. However, the recent use of heavy machinery and systematic excavation took quarrying to a new level of risk.
Excavator machine, known as “Boma” machine, is used for extracting stones from under river with 60-70 feet deep. This is a very dangerous method for the workers. Sometimes shallow engines are also used to extract stones.
The Bholaganj stone quarry is spread throughout an area of 1010 acre. Of this Bangladesh Railway owns 359 acres and minerals ministry owns 651 acres.
According to workers, this stone quarry is also a highly politically contested area with the ruling party always taking control. However, the need for better safety measures and a regulation for systematic stone extraction have always been overlooked no matter which party rules.
The workers demanded proper government monitoring and enhancing safety standard at the quarry.
