Trader fined for lifting earth from riverbed

A mobile court here yesterday fined a man Tk 50,000 for cutting earth illegally from the Pungli river, threatening a nearby rail bridge in Kalihati upazila of the district.

The convict is Abdul Kuddus.

Being informed by locals, the court, led by Kalihati Assistant Commissioner (land) Nafisa Akter, raided the river site yesterday noon and detained six people from the spot and fined Kuddus Tk 50,000.

The court also seized an excavator used for cutting earth and a truck from there.

Later, the other detainees were released after Kuddus removed all the equipments from the spot and gave an undertaking assuring them that he will not cut earth in future.  

Villagers alleged that local influential people Kuddus, 45, Habel, 46, Sabuj, 40, Monir, 35, and Bondej, 50, have been continuing earth cutting from the Pungli river for long, which causes erosion at the nearby villages during the last rainy season.

A railway bridge and two bridges on Dhaka-Tangail highway are under threat due to cutting earth indiscriminately.