A section of influential people is making a fast buck by lifting sand through dredgers illegally from the Kushiyara River at Sherpur on Sylhet-Moulvibazar border.
Due to the unauthorised extraction of sand, erosion on both sides of the river has intensified.
Protesting the mindless sand lifting, local people have submitted a petition to the Sylhet divisional commissioner recently, but to no effect yet.
The unscrupulous section of people has been continuing sand extraction from the river through dredgers illegally for the last 8-10 months, locals said.
Every day, sand is lifted by 15-20 dredgers from 15 kilometres area from Kushiyara Bazar to Paharpur of Balaganj upazila.
The sand is then piled up in an area of five acres at Brahmangram in Sherpur Bazar on the riverbank.
From there, the traders supply the sand to different areas of the district by trucks.
The practice is going on under the nose of the local administration, but the officials seem indifferent to the issue.
On the midnight of January 16, Awami League (AL) leaders Syed Abdul Basid, Limon Mia, Abdul Ali, Omar Ali, Nazrul Islam and Helal Member under the leadership of Osmaninagar AL president Kabir Uddin Ahmed allegedly lifted sand from the river point through five dredgers engaging more than 100 workers.
Requesting immediate steps to stop the illegal sand lifting, a letter signed by more than 50 local residents was later sent to Sylhet divisional commissioner, the shipping ministry, Moulvibazar deputy commissioner, upazila land officer and the UNO.
Due to the sand extraction, the government is being deprived of revenue income of lakhs of taka on the one hand and about 400 families are in fear of losing their homesteads on the other hand.
Sadipur union chairman Abdur Rab said the sand lifters are very powerful.
They are continuing the sand lifting evading lakhs of taka tax and planning to evict the local people from the riverbank, he added.