Police to probe into illegal sand lifting from Teesta

River Police has started conducting an investigation on allegations of illegal sand lifting from the Teesta River in Lalmonirhat on the orders of the National River Conservation Commission.

The NRCC gave the orders on August 3 after it came to its attention following a report published in The Daily Star on May 20.

The superintendent of the River Police in Rajshahi Range ordered the Balasighat River Police Outpost to investigate the matter on August 8.

River Police Sub Inspector (SI) Maqbul Hossain has began conducting the investigation in this regard in Dakshin Balapara and Gobordhan areas of Teesta shoal under Mahishkhocha union in Aditmari upazila.

Contacted, SI Maqbul yesterday told The Daily Star that on August 9 he visited the areas and spoke to locals, Aditmari upazila nirbahi officer (UNO), and its assistant commissioner (AC-Land).

At present sand extraction is halted there, the IO informed. However, he said, there has been illegal extraction of sand from the Teesta river with dredger machines for a long time, carried out by an organised syndicate.

"The investigation report should be submitted to the National River Conservation Commission by August 18. As per further instructions, legal action will be taken against those who were involved in illegal sand extraction from the river," he said.

Locals at Dakshin Balapara and Gobordhan areas told The Daily Star that sand lifting has been paused currently due to flooding in July.

The syndicate, led by a ruling party leader, earlier extracted sand from the river from last November till June and sold it, they alleged.

Meanwhile, the upazila administration conducted mobile court drives against sand extraction using dredgers several times, the locals informed.