Illegal coal factories demolished

A mobile court here on Sunday demolished six illegal charcoal producing factories in a drive in Mirzapur upazila.

Executive Magistrate Asgar Hossain, also assistant commissioner (land) in Mirzapur, launched the drive at Rahimpur village under Gorai union in the afternoon.

During the drive, the court also seized 300 sacks of coal from there.

The court, however, could not arrest anyone from the illegal coal factories. 

Locally influential Tota Miah and Alhaj Miah had been producing coal by burning timber in the factories illegally for long, harming the local environment.

The mobile court drive was launched following media reports over the issue, the executive magistrate told local journalists.

After the drive, the court also burnt a dredger machine which was used for lifting sand illegally from Bonshai river in Jogir Kofa Kheya Ghat area of Latifpur union, locals said.

However, the owner of the dredger Iman Ali managed to flee after sensing the presence of the mobile court, they added.