Stone-throwing incidents at Sada Pathor: Residents of Bholaganj retreat following the threat
In the picturesque Sylhet district of Bangladesh, a recovery drive is currently underway to retrieve white stones that were looted from the Sada Pathor tourist area in Bholaganj, Companiganj upazila, three months ago. The district administration, led by Deputy Commissioner Md. Sarwar Alam, has taken swift action to ensure the return of these stones by Tuesday evening.
On August 26, Mr. Alam issued an order for the return of the looted stones, and since then, a series of meetings have been held with local public representatives and businessmen to facilitate the recovery process. These meetings have resulted in several key decisions, with anyone still possessing white stones being urged to return them to the Bholaganj Sada Pathor area by 5pm on Tuesday, at their own initiative and expense.
Traders, including Kazi Farhad Hossain, a stone crusher mill trader, have begun to return the stones to Sada Pathor in compliance with the DC's order. Many people have also started returning the stones on their own initiative following the district administration's ultimatum. At least 100 trucks of stones were delivered to Sada Pathor between midnight Saturday and noon Sunday.
The district administration has not specified any individuals or entities in the decisions made during the meetings, but Mr. Alam has made it clear that action will also be taken against public representatives if stones are found in their areas after the deadline. The Sylhet Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Khushnoor Rubaiyat is also involved in the recovery process.
Public announcements via loudspeakers continue to urge the return of the looted stones, and the executive magistrates and law enforcement officers are monitoring the situation closely. Businessmen from Dhopagul have voluntarily initiated the return of their collected white stones, contributing to the ongoing recovery drive.
The returned stones were originally purchased by various traders, including Mr. Kazi Farhad Hossain, and no new stones have been purchased since the DC's order three months ago. The district administration believes that some people are still hiding stones in Companiganj and Sylhet Sadar upazilas, and they are determined to ensure the complete recovery of the stolen white stones.
