Police have arrested five people in connection with a case filed over looting while mineral stones from Bholaganj in Companiganj of Sylhet district.
Uzaier Al Mahmud Adnan, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Companiganj Police Station, said that the police conducted raids at various places in the upazila early Saturday and arrested them.
The arrestees are Mohammad Kamal Mia alias Picchi Kamal, 45, Md Abu Sayeed, 21, and Md Abul Kalam, 32. All of them were arrested from their residence in Companiganj area.
In addition, two more people, Iman Ali, 28, and Jahangir Alam, 35, were arrested at a check post while transporting the crushed white stones in a dump truck. The official said that the arrestees will be produced before a court on Saturday afternoon in a case filed by the Department of Mineral Resources.
Earlier, a case was filed against 2,000 unidentified individuals with the police station on Friday night in connection with the looting white stone from Bholaganj white stone tourist spot. Mohammad Anwarul Habib, director general (joint secretary) of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division (EMRD), has filed the case.
The case statement mentioned that since August 5 last year, miscreants have been illegally extracting stones worth crores of taka from the gazetted Bholaganj stone quarry area. The specific identity of those involved in the incident is not yet confirmed.
The statement further said that such looting from the gazetted quarry is a clear violation of Section 4(2)(j) of the Mines and Mineral Resources (Control and Development) Act, 1992 and Rule 93(1) of the Mines and Mineral Resources Rules, 2012. At the same time, an offense has been committed under Sections 379 and 431 of the Penal Code 1860.
The statement requested that those involved in the stone looting be identified and legal action be taken subject to investigation.
Meanwhile, in the last three days, the administration in raids has seized nearly 100,000 cubic feet of looted stones. However, no specific information has been given by the administration about how much stone has actually been looted. Incidentally, massive stone looting has started in the Bholaganj area since the political change on August 5 last year.
Local sources said that leaders of various political parties were directly or indirectly involved in this looting under the auspices of the administration. Stones were openly looted from the Dhalai River in broad daylight by boat. Thousands of boats were used to lift stones every day even sand from the riverbank was also lifted.
Local investigations have revealed that at least fifty leaders of various political parties actively led the looting of white stones.
