They said due to rampant sand lifting, five villages of Pirojpur union under Sonargaon upazila in Narayanganj district are facing severe river erosion.

The speakers alleged that a strong syndicate backed by some influential political leaders took lease of the two islands Char Lawdiya and Char Ramzan and started rampant sand lifting ignoring the government's rules.

They demanded immediate cancellation of the lease for the sake of the lives of several thousand people in the area.

The press conference was organised by the people of Pirojpur union at the National Press Club in the city.

In a written statement Babul Mahmud of Pirojpur said the residents of five villages Vati Bander, Zia Nagar, Vurvuria, Jhauchar and Kandar Gao are living at high risk due to rampant sand lifting by the syndicate from two river islands.

"Houses and cultivable lands of the villages are being devoured by the river Meghna and several thousand people are about to become homeless if the rampant sand lifting goes on," he added.

Babul said although the joint forces recently seized two trawlers and arrested 11 workers of the syndicate and filed a case against 28 people who were illegally lifting sand near the Vurvuria village, this syndicate is still lifting sand from the two river islands.

On the other hand, syndicate members assaulted two villagers as they barred them from sand lifting illegally, he said, adding that the villagers who protested the move are suffering from a sense of insecurity due to repeated threats by the syndicate.

"We also submitted memorandums to the chief adviser of the caretaker government, Dhaka divisional commissioner and Narayanganj deputy commissioner regarding sand lifting and cancellation of lease, but no action has been taken so far," he added.

Babul demanded construction of protection wall along the bank of Meghna to save the villages from erosion.

Mohammad Samad, member of Pirojpur union, Jahanara Begum, former member of Bangladesh Manobadhikar Samunnay Parishad and other residents of the union also spoke.