Sylhet: Senior Secretary of the Public Administration Ministry Dr Mokhles ur Rahman has declared that no individual involved in the looting of white stone in Sylhet will evade accountability, regardless of their influence. This announcement was made during his interaction with reporters following a visit to the Bholaganj white stone quarry.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the cabinet division established a five-member committee, led by Dr Mokhles ur Rahman, on August 20 to identify those involved in the looting activities. The Secretary emphasized that a special package program will be implemented to prevent unauthorized stone lifting from the area and other tourist sites. Additionally, the region will be placed under continuous CCTV camera surveillance.
During the visit, Dr Rahman was accompanied by mineral resources division secretary Saiful Islam, Divisional Commissioner of Sylhet Khan Reza-un-Nabi, Deputy Commissioner Sarwar Alam, and other concerned officials. The investigation committee engaged with local residents and government officials to assess the situation regarding the white stone looting.
The committee has been tasked with identifying the responsible individuals and submitting a comprehensive report within the next ten days. This initiative comes in response to significant environmental damage and the deterioration of the aesthetic appeal of the tourist spot due to illegal stone extraction. The government decided to investigate the matter following media reports on the illegal activities at the Bholaganj tourist spot and the railway bunker area of Companiganj.