A welcome impact, but challenges remain

Unbridled sand mining that had been ravaging the reserve forest in Cox's Bazar's Chakaria has slowed down, thanks to the heightened surveillance by the Forest Department.

Meanwhile, the local administration has also suspended operation from nine quarries following a High Court ban.

On July 08, this correspondent visited Paglirbil area. The mining left a trail of devastation turning the undergrowth vegetation in the forest which once served as an ideal foraging spot for wildlife, particularly the herbivore elephant, turned into a huge lake encompassing an area of three kilometres.

Foresters and range officers were seen patrolling the area where dozens of sand piles were stacked along a one-kilometre stretch of the Shah Suja road inside the forest.

"The sand is being extracted at night in stealth. I am an upazila chairman, I don't need to engage in such affairs to earn money. I live off on timber trade. The allegation is baseless,"

— Fazlul Karim Saydee Chakaria Upazila Chairman

Seeking anonymity, locals of Paglirbil told this correspondent that the miners prefer nighttime for mining. According to them, the miners are the followers of Chakaria Upazila Chairman Fazlul Karim Saydee, who surreptitiously extract sand.

Hasanul Islam Ador, chairman of Dolahazara union parishad under Chakaria upazila, said the sand mining has slowed down after the HC order came into effect. However, challenges remain, as the extractors mine sand at night.

More than one forest official and local political leaders pointed fingers at the upazila chair who was the last lessee for most of the quarries in Chakaria upazila. However, they sought anonymity to avoid repercussions from the powerful politician.

Fazlul Karim Saydee, however, denied the allegation and said the extractors could be his supporters but he has no firsthand involvement in such activities.

He brought allegations against local chairman Hasanul Islam Ador of benefitting from sand mining.

"The sand is being extracted at night in stealth. I am an upazila chairman, I don't need to engage in such affairs to earn money. I live off on timber trade. The allegation is baseless," he claimed.

Hasanul Islam Ador denied the allegations against him.

Contacted, Mamunur Rashid, deputy commissioner of Cox's Bazar, said as per the Forest Department's requirement, they have suspended the nine quarries in Chakaria to save the forest.

"We are ready to extend our assistance to the Forest Department, which is supposed to form a dedicated team to safeguard the reserve forest from sand miners. I have to look into the matter to know where the gaps lie in the execution. Otherwise, the motive behind the stopping sand extraction would remain elusive," he said.

Following the report ran by The Daily Star on March 27 and a subsequent petition by Bangladesh Environmentalist Lawyers Association (Bela), an HC bench directed the authorities to prevent sand lifting from eight areas of Chakaria on May 25.

Following the court order, on May 25 Ministry of Land scrapped eight quarries, including Khutakhali-02, Khutakhali-03, Dulahazara-01, Dulahazara-02, Dulahazara-03, Fasiakhali-01, Fasiakhali-02 and Paglir quarry.

As per the documents of the Forest Department, at least 42 people -- 20 in Paglirbil area and 22 in Khutakhali -- are engaged in sand mining.

Cox's Bazar Divisional Forest Office (north) has so far seized nine dumper trucks and destroyed 4,300 feet of pipe used to extract sand.

They also installed 25 signboards at various spots of Dulahazara union detailing the cancellation of the lease and warning of action against sand extraction.

Anwar Hossen Sarkar, divisional forest officer of Cox's Bazar (north), said they formed a team comprising the forest staffers to keep surveillance on the spot.

"We are trying our best with manpower shortage to rein in the menace. The miners are still trying to sneak into the forest. We are keeping watch keep them away from the forest," he said.