A mobile court in Muradnagar, Cumilla, has fined a dredger operator 8 lakh taka under the Sand Quarry and Soil Management Act for illegally extracting sand from agricultural land using an unauthorized dredger machine.
Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Sakib Hassan Khan imposed the fine Tuesday while conducting a mobile court in Purba Dhoir Poshchim and Darora unions.
Bangra Bazar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Shafiul Alam, along with police and Ansar members, were present.
According to upazila administration sources, a daylong operation was carried out Tuesday following allegations that an organized dredger syndicate was illegally extracting sand from agricultural land using dredgers in the Malipara and Nabiyabad areas of Purba Dhoir Poshchim union under Bangra Bazar police station. After evidence of sand extraction was found during the operation, a mobile court fined one dredger operator 8 lakh taka, with a default sentence of one month of simple imprisonment, and removed three dredgers and about 2,000 feet of pipe. Separately, one dredger and about 800 feet of pipe were removed from the Boroi Bagan area of Darora union under Muradnagar police station.
Assistant Commissioner (Land) Sakib Hassan Khan said the administration has adopted a zero-tolerance policy to protect the fertility of agricultural land and its topsoil, and that such operations against illegal dredging for soil and sand extraction would continue regularly.
Local residents welcomed the administration’s timely action and called for continued regular monitoring and similar operations to protect agricultural land.