Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan has accused the local administration of colluding with stone looters in Sylhet’s Bholaganj and demanded immediate action against those involved.
“The only reason we went to the field in Sylhet was to send a clear message to the looters that we are watching,” Rizwana told reporters at the Secretariat on Sunday.
Questioning the role of the authorities, she said: “Have you seen any minister visit the site of stone looting in the past 10 or 20 years? Tell me if any minister has ever been attacked while doing so.” She alleged that officials either aided the perpetrators or chose to remain silent.
Rizwana acknowledged the limits of her role, noting that advisers could guide policies but not micromanage. “When we saw the administration failing to act, both I and Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan went to the field to encourage them,” the adviser noted.
Following their visit, she claimed, an “obscene protest” was staged around their vehicle, prompting a political party to suspend its local leaders.
She added that a major three-day drive was later conducted, cutting power to all stone-crushing machines. But within days, political pressure forced a reversal, with parties uniting to demand the resumption of extraction.
“Transport owners even threatened strikes. This is not new. During the pandemic in 2020, they called strikes when quarrying was halted, despite the national crisis,” Rizwana recalled.
“Perhaps this time, due to political unity in favour of the looters, the administration chose silence,” she added.
The adviser also stressed the need for accountability in ongoing cases. “We must see how many of the actual culprits are being identified and held accountable,” she noted.
Praising citizens for their resistance, Rizwana said: “When people rise against looters, no matter the political support they enjoy, it is the people’s strength that will ultimately prevail.”