A mobile court in Sylhet's Companiganj upazila sentenced 11 people to 10 days’ imprisonment each for illegally extracting sand beneath the M Saifur Rahman Dhalai Bridge.
Six steel-bodied bulkhead boats and two wooden boats fitted with lister engines were also seized during the operation.
The crackdown, led by Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Robin Mia and Companiganj police station’s Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Ratan Sheikh, took place from 11pm on Thursday until 4am on Friday. Company Commander Iqbal Hossain of Kalasadek BGB Camp, along with police and BGB personnel, joined the raid.
UNO Md Robin Mia said: “Our drive against sand extraction from non-leased areas and beneath the Dhalai Bridge will continue. Anyone engaged in illegal sand extraction will face strict legal consequences.”
During the operation, eight boats were detained and 11 people arrested within 500 meters of the Dhalai Bridge while extracting sand using Lister machines. The mobile court later handed down prison sentences to the detainees.
The arrested individuals are Md Ebadur Rahman, 22, son of late Abdul Khalek of Duralpur village under Jamalganj upazila, Sunamganj; Md Ekram Hossain, 22, son of Izzat Ali of Duralpur village, Jamalganj; Md Ataur Rahman, 33, son of Abdul Hanif; Md Nazrul Islam, 35, son of Abdus Subhan; Mujibur Rahman, son of Rais Ali; Md Mofiqul Haque, 30, son of late Monir Uddin of Sangrampur village, Bishwambarpur upazila; Md Sajib, 22, son of Khurshid Mia of Basantapur village, Bishwambarpur; Ali Raj, 28, son of late Golam Mostafa; Md Mahasin Ahmed, 28, son of late Abdul Hai of Harinakandi village, Jamalganj; Md Taufiq Mia, 30, son of late Dewan of Sulaha village, Tahirpur; and Md Ali Hossain, 23, son of Manjur Ali of the same village.
Companiganj police station OC Mohammad Ratan Sheikh added, “Preparations are underway to send the 11 detainees to jail through the court.”
