A river under siege: As political tides shift, sand extraction spirals out of control along Jadukata

Locals say BNP leaders have taken over from Awami League, driving unchecked extraction and environmental risks

Despite a change in government and ongoing reform efforts, illegal sand and stone extraction continues unchecked along the banks of the transboundary Jadukata River in Sylhet's Sunamganj.

Locals say that Awami League leaders, who controlled this trade for the past 15 years during the party's time in power, are no longer in charge. Instead, BNP leaders have taken over.

Since the new "management" took control, illegal operators have become even more reckless. More "suction machines" are being installed in the river than before, expanding the waterway from half a kilometre to nearly three kilometre in width.

Leaseholders continue their operations by "managing" local authorities, law-enforcing agencies, and BNP leaders. Villagers who speak out against the destruction face threats, violence and lawsuits.

A LUCRATIVE BUSINESS

Speaking with traders involved in the sand and stone business reveals a well-oiled system of payments. Operators must pay Tk 5-6 taka per cubic foot of extracted material along the riverbank. For deeper river operations, fees rise to Tk 5,000-6,000 per day.

This money is distributed among various parties, while leaseholders charge an average royalty of Tk 11 per cubic foot.

Md Sahajul Ahmed, a resident of a nearby model village, expressed his anger and said, "Since Aug 5, riverbank excavation has increased threefold. BNP leaders are now behind the extraction and extortion. The river has eroded dangerously close to our homes."

"Before, we could recognise people on the other side of the river. Now, it has expanded so much that it looks like a vast haor [wetland]."

Villagers claim that Tahirpur Sadar Union Parishad Chairman and former Upazila BNP general secretary Junab Ali is among those involved in the excavation.

Although Junab denies any connection, he admits that riverbanks are being cut away.

"I am not involved in this. The leaseholders are doing it. People's homes are being affected, but why should my name be mentioned? We are against riverbank excavation. Leaseholders and those operating the suction machines are the ones profiting."

FROM BUCKETS AND SHOVELS TO SUCTION MACHINES

The district administration has leased approximately 500 acres of land, designated as the "Jadukata-1" and "Jadukata-2" sand quarries, covering a four-kilometer stretch from Laurergor to Miar Char Ghat.

Although traditional methods like buckets and shovels were meant to be used, thousands of suction machines now dominate the river. The rampant extraction is harming biodiversity, disrupting the river’s natural flow and posing serious environmental risks to the entire region.

A COSTLY SHIFT IN LEASING

Government records show a sharp increase in lease prices over the years. In the Bengali year 1428 (Apr 14, 2021 - Apr 13, 2022), the district administration leased two sand quarries on the Jadukata River Tk 120 million. The price surged to Tk 320 million the following year, leaping further to Tk 549.2 million (Tk 686.5 million including VAT and taxes) the year after.

However, in 1431, the highest bidders, Ratan Mia of Sohag Enterprise and Mojibur Rahman of Rihan Enterprise, secured the leases for much less, with successful bids of Tk 129 million for Jadukata-1 and Tk 183 million for Jadukata-2.

With VAT and taxes, the total stood at Tk 405.6 million, meaning the government lost nearly Tk 280 million in potential revenue due to lower bids.

Locals are protesting against the extraction of large stones, pebbles and gravel alongside sand, despite the lease only permitting sand mining.

With the change in circumstances, leaseholders have also adjusted royalty rates over time. Initially, they had to pay Tk 15 per cubic foot of sand. However, after the Awami League regime was overthrown by the student-led anti-discrimination protests on Aug 5 last year, the rate came down to Tk 9. Soon after, leaseholders unilaterally raised it to Tk 11.

VILLAGERS FORCED TO SELL LAND

A recent visit to Ghagotia-Adarsha Gram's Pukurpar area revealed a grim reality. Hundreds of boats were actively cutting away the riverbanks. The excavation has progressed so much that the river now reaches the doorsteps of many homes.

The village’s front section has been cut off entirely. Thousands of engine-fitted barges operate along the riverbank, running high-powered suction machines. Sand is piled up and loaded onto boats, while stones are extracted in the same manner.

Leaseholders' men patrol the riverbank, keeping a close watch. The entire scene resembles an industrial-scale act of destruction.

Large swathes of Sunamganj, including Laurergor, Ghagatia, Barotek, Adarsha Gram, Garkati, Ghagra, Rajargaon, Sohala, Pathanpara, Kunatchhara, Modergaon, Maharam, Manigaon, Binnakuli, Miar Char, Pirijipur, Dakkhinkul, Anwarpur, Noahat, Patari, Tiorjalal, Balijuri, Mahmudpur, and Barunka, are now at risk of erosion.

The damage has already claimed vast grazing lands, a graveyard in Laurergor, Noahat Government Primary School, parts of the Advaita Mahaprabhu Ashram Ghat, and marketplaces in Anwarpur, Binnakuli, and Fazilpur. Among the seven unions in the Upazila, Uttar Baradol, Badaghat and Balijuri are the hardest hit.

Md Sahajul Ahmed, a resident of Adarsha Gram, highlighted how unchecked excavation has extended far beyond the designated lease areas. What was once a half-kilometre-wide river has now expanded to three kilometres due to relentless riverbank cutting.

He claimed that police, Upazila officials, and BNP leaders are complicit in this destruction. He also reported receiving threats of legal action for speaking out and warned that unless the excavation stops, 20 to 30 villages, including major haors, will face complete devastation.

The consequences of resistance have been severe. Zainal Abedin from Ghagatia village was allegedly subjected to physical assault for protesting against the riverbank excavation. Even after filing a case, no action was taken.

He recounted how, despite a temporary halt, the destruction resumed at an even faster pace, with the river transformed in just three months.

Zainal accused those involved of making millions from the illegal trade, saying that many who once struggled for food have now accumulated vast fortunes.

He also recalled having a garden near the riverbank, which was lost after he tried to stop dredging machines from extracting sand and stone near his property -- an attempt that resulted in him being beaten.

Zainal specifically pointed to "BNP leader Kalam and his nephew Ranu Member" as key figures in the excavation.

"While Kalam publicly assured villagers that he would work to stop the riverbank cutting, his nephew Ranu and his son Talha continued the destruction."

Frustrated and disheartened, Zainal said that many villagers remain silent out of fear, but he refuses to back down despite losing land and assets worth millions.

Similar concerns were raised by Badaghat resident and environmental activist Abul Hossain, who serves as the Literature and Publications Secretary of the Sunamganj Paribesh Rokkha Andolan. He explained that landowners near the river are rushing to sell their property, fearing it will be lost to erosion.

While some are receiving fair prices, others are deliberately selling to the excavation syndicate for profit. Disputes over land lost to sand extraction are often resolved through the police, reinforcing the notion that nearly everyone -- whether officials, politicians, or law enforcement -- is somehow involved.

According to him, whichever party is in power, its members exploit the river with administrative backing.

Ferdous Alam, president of the BNP-affiliated Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal's Sunamganj unit and a resident of Balijuri, went further, directly blaming the Upazila executive officer, or UNO, the local police station's officer-in-charge, and the district police administration for facilitating the illegal trade.

He estimated that stones worth nearly Tk 100 million are being extracted daily, causing massive revenue losses for the government. Despite a High Court ruling suspending the lease process, new lease schedules continue to be issued, raising questions about administrative accountability.

Shah Shaheda Akhtar, Sylhet Divisional Coordinator of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association, or BELA, described the situation as a crisis, warning that the Jadukata River is on the brink of collapse.

She held the administration and law-enforcing agencies responsible for ignoring court orders and allowing the destruction to continue. Unless authorities take decisive action, the river, along with its surrounding environment and ecosystem, will be lost, she warned.

Attempts to reach Ratan Mia, owner of Sohag Enterprise, and Mojibur Rahman, owner of Rihan Enterprise, for comments on these allegations were unsuccessful, as both their phones were found switched off.

THOSE ACCUSED

Villagers have alleged that the embankment cutting operation in front of Ghagatia-Adarsha village is being led by Mosahid Hossain Ranu, also known as Ranu Member, the representative of Ward No 6 in Badaghat Union Parishad.

In August 2023, police arrested Ranu along with five others on charges of embankment cutting.

Ranu is also accused in multiple cases.

Among the accused are Abul Kalam Azad, a former vice-president of Sunamganj district BNP, Rakhab Uddin, a former chairman of Badaghat Union Parishad and the party’s district human rights secretary, and Ruhul Amin, general secretary of the BNP’s Uttar Baradol Union unit.

Residents of Gorkati village claim that Shafik Mia, president of the local ward Awami League, along with his brother Masuk Mia, Burhan Uddin, Kiran, Hasan, and Md Ashraf, are involved in illegal quarrying and looting, along with local BNP leaders.

However, all the accused have denied any involvement in sand extraction.

Union Parishad member Ranu said, “People may mention my name, but I am not involved.”

When reminded of his previous imprisonment over the same allegation, he said: “I have given up embankment cutting. I haven’t even been near the river this year.”

BNP’s Uttar Baradol Union unit former general secretary Ruhul blamed Awami League leaders instead.

“Aftab Uddin was cutting the embankment before, and now his elder brother Rakhab Uddin is doing it. I have land near the garden, and I have stationed people there to protect it. I am not involved in embankment cutting. Since my people stay near the riverbank, my name may have come up.”

Abul Kalam Azad, former vice-president of Sunamganj district BNP, denied any involvement, saying: “How am I involved? You should investigate. The embankment doesn’t even exist anymore. I know nothing about this.”

BNP’s district human rights secretary Rakhab also refuted the allegations.

“My name is being mentioned based on false assumptions. Ratan and Mojibur are involved in the river work; they own the dredging equipment. And the river has no embankment left—it has dried up, and the water level has dropped. The police have already arrested Ranu for embankment cutting once. I own a boat and am involved in the sand and stone business.”

When asked about allegations that BNP leaders are collecting extortion money, Rakhab dismissed the claims, calling them “fake”.

Attempts to contact Ward Awami League president Shafik Mia were unsuccessful, as his wife answered his phone, but he did not respond to subsequent calls.

When asked about BNP leaders allegedly collecting extortion money or being involved in embankment cutting, Anisul Haque, former chairman of Tahirpur Upazila Parishad and member of BNP’s district convening committee, said: “Report whatever you find to be true. There is no scope for anyone to misuse BNP’s name for personal gain. If there are allegations, action will be taken.”

Miftah Siddiqui, BNP’s joint organisational secretary, said: “To my knowledge, no such allegations have been raised. If someone presents credible evidence, the matter will be taken seriously.”

WHAT AUTHORITIES SAY

Sunamganj Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Elias Mia said, “Whenever we receive complaints about illegal activities in the river, the district and Upazila administrations take action. Dredgers and sieve machines have been seized, and fines and jail sentences have been imposed. The crackdown will continue.

“There is no scope for collecting extortion money using the administration’s name,” he said.

Regarding the sale of schedules despite a High Court order to halt the river lease, the deputy commissioner said: “We will act in accordance with the court’s directives. However, we have not yet officially received any documents from the High Court.”

Multiple attempts to reach the Sunamganj superintendent of police on his mobile phone went unanswered.

Additional Superintendent of Police Tapas Ranjan Ghosh disconnected the call, saying he was in a meeting, and later did not respond.

Regarding allegations of extortion in the name of Upazila administration, Tahirpur Upazila Executive Officer, or UNO, Abul Hashem said: “We are not involved in this. None of my staff visit the river. Just a few days ago, we sent three people to jail. The administration is taking a firm stance on this issue.”

Tahirpur Police Station chief Dolowar Hossain said, “There is no embankment left in the river now; it has turned into something like a sea. The river has dried up, and no embankment cutting is taking place.”

[Writing in English by Turaj Ahmad and Arshi Fatiha Quazi]