MINTU DESHWARA, Moulvibazar

Indiscriminate razing of natural dunes and hill slopes, as well as illegal extraction of silica sand and alluvial soil, is continuing unabated in Kamalganj upazila of Moulvibazar, raising alarm over potentially severe damage to the environment, biodiversity, and infrastructure.

In Chhayghari area under Islampur union, influential groups are reportedly using excavators in broad daylight to level red-soil dunes. Similar activities are ongoing on the hill slopes adjacent to Sunchhara Tea Garden in Alinagar union for the extraction of silica sand.

The illegally collected sand and soil are transported daily by trucks, pickups, and other vehicles, allegedly right under the nose of the authorities concerned.

Locals allege that the upazila administration has yet to take any effective step to this end, adding that unless prompt administrative action is taken, the ongoing situation may lead to devastating outcomes.

Enamul Haque Shamim, a social activist from Shamshernagar, said locals seized a truck carrying illegally extracted silica sand at night recently and kept it at the Shamshernagar police outpost.

Despite being informed, the upazila nirbahi officer took no action against the vehicle, he alleged.

In the Bishnupur area under Rahimpur union, soil is being extracted from beneath a steel bridge on the Dhalai River, raising concern that the illegal activities would leave the bridge’s foundation and adjacent embankment vulnerable and cause both to collapse at some point, causing significant damages.

With no visible intervention from the authorities, locally influential syndicates have long been continuing such operations across the upazila, causing degradation to the ecologically sensitive areas.

Local college teacher Jamshed Ali warned that unregulated sand and soil extraction is destroying natural tourist attractions and posing risks to roads, agricultural land, bridges, and culverts.

Nurul Muhaimin Milton, a network member of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), said destroying dunes and hills for red soil and silica sand extraction is not only illegal but also ecologically disastrous for a fragile ecosystem that supports local biodiversity, regulates water flow, and protects surrounding agricultural land.

Such activities weaken the natural barriers that hold soil together and disrupt natural drainage systems, thereby raising the risk of erosion, flash flooding, landslides during the monsoon, damage to infrastructure, and the destruction of wildlife habitats, he added.

“The laws are very clear in Bangladesh -- hill cutting and illegal sand extraction are punishable offences. The failure here is not of legislation but of implementation,” he said, urging authorities to take immediate action through enforcement drives, seizure of equipment, prosecution of those involved, and raising public awareness.

Milton further stressed sustainable land management practices and strict monitoring of ecologically sensitive areas like Kamalganj, known for unique landscapes and tourism potential.

Contacted, Kamalganj UNO Md Asaduzzaman acknowledged the dune razing incidents in Islampur union and said legal action will be taken upon investigation.

He called for cooperation from local residents to curb such activities.