A committee formed to investigate the looting of stones from Bholaganj ‘Sada Pathor’ in Companiganj upazila of Sylhet district has submitted its report, naming 137 people and proposing 10 recommendations to prevent future looting.
The report was submitted Wednesday afternoon at the Deputy Commissioner’s office by the committee head and Additional Deputy Commissioner Padmasan Singha.
Outgoing DC Mohammad Sher Mahbub Murad endorsed the submission.
“The report lists 137 people involved in the looting, most of whom are political party leaders and activists. It also includes 10 recommendations to stop such incidents in the future,” he said. The report will now be forwarded to the Cabinet Division.
The seven-page probe report follows severe criticism over the looting of around one million cubic feet of Sada Pathor from Bholaganj.
The committee included Afzalul Islam, Assistant Director of the Department of Environment in the district and immediate past transferred Companiganj UNO Azizunnahar, whose inclusion sparked criticism due to her failure to prevent the looting.
Initially due on August 17, the committee was granted a three-day extension. Amid criticism, DC Murad was made Special OSD and the UNO was transferred on August 18.
Earlier, the Bureau of Mineral Development filed a case against 1,500–2,000 suspects.
Following High Court intervention, recovered stones were reinstated at their original sites.
Subsequently, joint operations in Sylhet and Narayanganj recovered over 500,000 cubic feet of looted stone.
Environment Adviser Syeda Rizeana Hasan held the local administration responsible for looting the stones.