Illegal sand lifting goes unabated at six points of Meghna river in Munshiganj to meet the growing demands of construction industry and to fill low lands posing threat to the ecology of the area and causing risk of massive erosion.

A section of dishonest people, in collusion with local ruling party leaders are lifting sands from the river Meghna at Char Japta, Char Abdullah and Kalir Char of sadar upazila and Vatibalaki, Kalipura, Sikirpur and launch terminal area of Gazaria upazila.

It seems that officials concerned are helpless in checking illegal sand mining in these areas, Alam Mia, a resident of Vatibalaki area, said adding that they were witnessing massive erosion in the areas where the influential quarters were lifting sand illegally.

Spot visit found several hundred dredgers deployed by Mrs Bashar enterprise, Chadni Traders and Bijoy enterprise lifting sand from Sikirpur area, Charramjanbeg-Kalipura area and Madhyamchar and Char Abdullahpur area.

A land grabbers’ syndicate fills a canal with sand at Srinagar under Munshiganj in violation of an order of the local administration. The photo was taken on Wednesday.

Abul Bashar, owner Bashar enterprise, claimed that they had permission from the deputy commissioner’s office to lift sand. ‘We only lift sand from the area instructed by the district administration,’ he said.

Chan Mia, one of the proprietors of Mrs Chadni Enterprise, said that they were lifting sand with permission from district administration.

The deputy commissioner in Munshiganj, Md Saiful Hasan Badal, said that the district administration was operating mobile courts frequently in the river to check illegal sand lifting. ‘We will increase our drive to stop illegal sand lifting,’ he said.

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