Published : 26 Oct 2026, 05:19 PM
Updated : 26 Oct 2026, 05:19 PM
A lawyer has filed a writ petition with the High Court seeking an end to illegal and unplanned sand extraction from the Padma River to protect its natural flow and ecological balance, prevent river erosion, and ensure the safety of the Padma Bridge and related infrastructure.
Supreme Court lawyer Golam Rahman Bhuiyan, chairman of the Manobadhikar O Samaj Unnayan Sangstha (MOSUS, orHuman Rights and Social Development Organisation), filed the public interest litigation on behalf of the organisation on Sunday.
Speaking to bdnews24.com on Monday, he said: “The writ petition concerning illegal and unplanned sand extraction from the Padma River was filed with the relevant section of the High Court on Sunday.
“The petition is likely to be heard within the next couple of days by the High Court bench of Justice Ahmed Sohel and Justice SM Iftekhar Uddin Mahmud.”
The petition names 23 people as respondents, including the secretaries of the ministries of water resources; environment, forest and climate change; shipping; road transport and bridges; home affairs; law, justice and parliamentary affairs; land; and local government, rural development and cooperatives.
The petition seeks a rule asking why the authorities’ failure to take effective measures to protect the Padma River, stop illegal sand extraction, preserve the river’s natural flow and ecological balance, prevent river erosion and damage to farmland, and ensure the safety of the Padma Bridge and related infrastructure should not be declared illegal.
It also seeks directives to ensure compliance with the Sand Quarry and Soil Management Act and other relevant laws.
The petition calls for technical and environmental assessments in the affected areas to determine the condition of the riverbed and any potential impact on the Padma Bridge, verification of lease conditions and approved boundaries, and immediate legal action to stop illegal sand extraction.
It also seeks an order directing the authorities to submit a report on the current situation in the areas concerned.
Citing reports published in several national dailies, the petition alleges that sand is being extracted using 18 to 20 dredgers in violation of lease conditions, causing erosion along the riverbanks.
It claims that such activities violate condition No. 13 of the lease.
The petition further claims that sand extraction outside the designated area has caused chars to collapse in Shariatpur’s Zajira, with around 20 acres of cropland swallowed by the river over the past three months.
It also says illegal sand extraction near an embankment has put the structure at risk.
Describing these activities as contrary to public interest, environmental protection and the rule of law, the petition seeks directives for swift and effective measures to protect the Padma River and related infrastructure.
