At least 150 acres of cropland have been eroded in Meghna River due to illegal sand extracting defying the law in Ashuganj, Charchartala and Char Lalpur Char area of Brahmanbaria.
Although there is a place reserved for the Balu Mahal (sand extraction zone) in Meghna River, the leasers are extracting sand from cropland area instead of the specific spot named Balu Mahal by force and local political influence. The owner of the damaged land has submitted a written complaint to the Deputy Commissioner of Brahmanbaria but the dredger owners are lifting the sand in this area freely by showing the administration a thumb.
In the context of written complaint the farmers wrote that in the Ashuganj upazila the Charchartala, Charlalpur, Raipura and Begumabagh area’s Balu Mahal was leased for 2017-2018 fiscal year for Ashuganj Upazila Chatradal President Salim Parvez, Md Jaynal Mia of Charchartala, Dr Faruk & Rafik of Lalpur, Sultan Mia of Chanpur of Narsingdi took lease. Being influential they did not follow the Balu Mahal's rule. Around 150 acres of land was cut off by influential people. This resulted in huge loss of land owners.
As well as cutting the soil deeply the erosion continuoued seriously. Everyday the crop land is going down into the river. Although talking to the Lessee they did not give importance to the situation; the people of the area are extremely disturbed. Khalilur Rahman the owner of the damaged land said, 'we complained the dredger owners were sitting in salish with influential people to compromise with us.
They promised to fill our damaged areas with soil.' Upazila Chhatra Dal president and dredger owner Salim Parvez and Jainal Mia said, 'we have dredged the river according to the rules of the Balu Mahal. We did not lift sand from cropland. The part that has been broken is the official place. But at the request of the locals we made a embankment to the soil so that the damaged land does not get broken due to the waves. The matter has been resolved socially.'
Ashuganj Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Shahina Akhter said, after receiving a letter from the DC the matter was inquired. In this regard the victims of the area submitted their written statement to us. We have sent an inquiry report to the DC.
Brahmanbaria Deputy Commissioner Rezwanur Rahman said, "We have made an inquiry committee in response to the request of the victims." The investigation has not yet reached me.
Action will be taken against those responsible for receiving the investigation report. If the dredger owners claim that this land will not be given to the government then they will not be released. He further said, if the complainants decide what to do then they will complain to us and what will happen. But we are seeing this very seriously.
-Golam Sarwar, Ashuganj, Brahmanbaria
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