STAFF CORRESPONDENT

The High Court yesterday directed the authorities concerned of the government to immediately stop illegal sand extraction from the Padma river between Rajbari’s Goalanda and Pabna’s Pakshi Channel.

The court also ordered the authorities to take legal action against those involved in illegal sand extraction.

The HC bench of Justice Md Iqbal Kabir Lytton and Justice Md Riaz Uddin Khan passed the directive and the order following a writ petition filed as public interest litigation by five Supreme Court lawyers, including Farid Hasan Mehedi and Rasheduzzaman Rana, in 2022 seeking necessary directives to protect the Padma River and its environment.

The HC said the provisions of the relevant Sand Quarry and Soil Management Act, 2010 must be strictly followed in issuing the lease of any sand quarry.

The Padma river channel, its environment, and important structures on the river’s banks must be protected through hydrographic survey for declaring any sand quarry within the river, the court observed.