Special Report : One after another attacks are occurring on the raiding teams in Sylhet. While attempting to seize sand, stones, or smuggled goods, magistrates along with BGB, RAB, and police members are being attacked.

Recently, even the army was attacked in Jaintiapur over the seizure of smuggled buffaloes. In the last 8 months, there have been at least 10 incidents of attacks.

On condition of anonymity, multiple BGB and police officials stated that people are no longer as afraid as before. They react to almost anything. They have lost their enthusiasm for conducting operations due to this situation.

In the last 8 months, the administration and police have conducted separate operations 50-60 times to prevent the extraction of sand and stones. Around 19 cases have been filed in these incidents.

The BGB is recovering Indian goods worth lakhs of taka almost daily. Sand and stones worth thousands of crores of taka have been looted.

These natural resources are being looted from various stone quarries and sand quarries in the border sub-districts of Companiganj, Gowainghat, and Jaintiapur. Raiding those involved is leading to one attack after another.

Even the BGB is being attacked while recovering smuggled goods at the border. The highest number of attacks occur in Companiganj.

A class of sand and stone looters has become active centering around the Dhalai River sand quarry, Bholaganj and Sharfin Tila stone quarries, and the Bholaganj bunker area in this sub-district. Sharfin and the bunker area have turned into wastelands.

According to relevant sources, on Wednesday, an operation was conducted at the sand quarry on the banks of the Dhalai River led by Assistant Commissioner (Land) of Companiganj, Mohammad Abul Hasnat.

During this time, workers threw bricks and stones at the raiding party. In this incident, the police filed a case, and two people were arrested. Besides this, 9 more separate cases have been filed.

Regarding this, Assistant Commissioner (Land) Abul Hasnat said that they are repeatedly facing unpleasant incidents while conducting operations against illegal sand and stone extraction.

On multiple occasions, the raiding team has been attacked. Nevertheless, the administration is continuing its operations.

On Tuesday, stone workers beat up BGB members in the Bholaganj bunker area. A video of this has gone viral. Last Sunday afternoon, police, Ansars, and three RAB members were injured in an attack by workers while evicting a stone-crushing machine beside Dhopagule road in the Airport area. This operation was led by a magistrate from the district administration.

Farooq Mahmud Chowdhury, president of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik-Sujan (Citizens for Good Governance) Sylhet, said that there is someone or some group backing those who are obstructing government work and attacking operations.

We are now living in a different situation. If the government does not suppress them with a strong hand, these incidents will continue.

District Administrator Sher Mahbub Murad said that miscreants are doing these things. The administration is continuing its work. Many have been arrested. There will be a change within a few days. Then, no one will dare to attack the police, BGB, or law enforcement agencies.