The High Court has issued a contempt of court rule against the Deputy Commissioner of Sunamganj for allegedly defying a court verdict and allowing illegal sand extraction from the Jadukata River in Tahirpur upazila.
A HC bench comprising Justice Fahmida Kader and Justice Md Asif Hasan issued the rule on Sunday.
The rule asks why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against the current deputy commissioner and why he should not be punished for violating the verdict delivered on 3 June 2010 in a public interest litigation case.
Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) had filed the public interest case in 2009, seeking a ban on sand extraction on the banks of the Jadukata River.
After hearing, on 3 June 2010, the High Court declared such extraction illegal and directed protection of the river, its banks, and bed. However, as the verdict was not enforced, the district administration later declared two sand quarries and leased them out without conducting any environmental impact assessment.
Although leasing was temporarily halted in 2025, illegal sand extraction continued at various points of the river using banned dredgers. As a result, riverbanks have eroded, affecting farmland, homesteads, and trees. It is feared that at least 20 villages may disappear into the river if sand extraction continues.
In this situation, BELA filed a contempt of court case to protect the river and the interests of nearby residents. Advocate Minhajul Haque Chowdhury led the case on behalf of BELA, assisted by Advocate S Hasanul Banna and Advocate Rumana Sharmin.
