The High Court on Thursday asked the local administration to submit within two months a list of those involved in the plundering of natural stones from the Bholaganj tourist area in Sylhet district.
The HC also directed the administration to recover the looted stones, better known as shada pathor, and dump these into the previous places within seven days.
The HC bench of Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque and Justice Aynun Nahar Siddiqua passed the order after hearing a writ petition.
The HC also asked why the local administration should not be held responsible for their inaction to prevent the looting.
Besides, the court also asked to form a high-level probe body headed by a Buet expert to determine the financial and environmental damage following the extraction of the stones.
The local administration has been asked to submit the progress report on the court orders by next Thursday.
Advocate Manzill Murshid stood for the petitioner.
The HC also issued a rule asking the government to explain why the ineffectiveness of the local administration in connection with the looting of stones should not be declared illegal.
It also issued another rule asking the government to explain why directives should not be given to take steps in the conservation of the area.
The HC issued another rule asking the government to explain why the area should not be declared as an ecologically critical area according to section 5 of the environmental law and why an order won’t be given to recover compensation from those who have looted these stones and harmed the environment.
Secretary to the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry, superintendent of Sylhet Police, BGB, RAB and local administration have been made respondents to the rule.
Meanwhile, another HC bench of Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Sayed Jahed Mansur fixed August 17 (Sunday) for hearing another writ petition filed seeking legal action against those involved in looting the stones from the Shada Pathor area.
The writ also sought deployment of additional law enforcement agencies in the Shada Pathor area.
