Illegal sand extraction of from the riverbeds of Chhoto Jamuna is putting farmland at risk in Bagzana Kuthara area under Panchbibi upazila in Joypurhat. For this reason, livelihoods and properties of many people in the area are in jeopardy
Local influential people having political clouts are carrying out the illegal activities, said many victims.
Some of the victims held a press conference at Joypurhat Press Club on Friday (January 15) to protest against illegal sand extraction from Chhoto Jamuna river in Bagzana Kuthara area.
In a written statement on behalf of the affected minorities, Swapan Kumar Saha said that for the last few months, influential Juba League leader of the area Abu Bakar Siddique along with his associates has been illegally extracting sand by piling 60-70 feet deep with illegal boring machine.
As a result, the surrounding crop lands are being lost in the river bed and the surrounding cultivable land including houses, mosque and poultry farm is under threat. They continue to extract sand recklessly with death threats if the locals interfere.
In the written statement, the victims claimed that there was no result even after applying to the district administration in this regard. “If our crop lands are lost in the river, our family members will have to spend half a day on hunger strike,” it was said in the statement.
Another victim, Surshe Chandra Saha said, “My one bigha land with potato crop lost in the river”. They claim that farmer Ismail Hossain’s poultry farm and Swapan Saha’s 1.5 bighas of crop land have been washed away by the river.
Among others, Suvas Chandra Saha, Sudeb Chandra Das, Ghulam Rabbani, Bilash Chandra, Chanchal Kumar, Delwar Hossain, Kartik Chandra were present at the press conference. They demanded the administration to immediately take necessary steps to stop illegal sand mining.
