Capitalist urges imperil Bichanakandi’s ecological balance
Stone lifting from Bichanakandi is harming the ecological balance of the famous tourist destination in Sylhet's Gowainghat upazila.
The area is located on Bangladesh's border with India's Meghalaya where a waterfall flows just inside the Indian border and the stream created a lake-like spot that connects with the nearby Piyain river.
Stone lifting started there after 18 March, when the Sylhet district administration imposed a shutdown on all tourist attractions, including Bichanakandi, in order to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Taking the benefit of the ban, some traders started stealing stones, especially during nights, locals said.
In a recent visit to the spot, this correspondent also found a group of people busy lifting and carrying stones away with small boats. They were storing the stones in several nearby places for selling later on.
The spot, which is close to the border, is under the jurisdiction of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), which prohibits entry of tourists inside 500 metres of the area.
Some locals have complained that the stone lifting is taking place inside the area under BGB's jurisdiction also.
"We have no information of stealing or lifting stones within 200 metres of the perimeter. It might happen in areas outside our jurisdiction," said Ahmed Yusuf Jamil, the commanding officer of BGB Battalion-48.
Over the last decade, all nearby villages of Bichanakandi have been damaged by the stone traders.
Illegal stone lifting must be stopped at any cost to save the environment, said Abdul Karim Kim, general secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon.
"But unfortunately, such things are happening in front of the law enforcers and administration," he added.
Nazmus Sakib, Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Gowainghat upazila, said he has ordered the local police and BGB to take steps to restrict stone lifting from Bichanakandi.
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