A mobile court in Chaugachha, Jessore, has fined landowner Shahinur Rahman (36) Tk 10,000 for illegally cutting sand and soil from his land and selling it, with 15 days in jail if he does not pay. Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) GMA Munib imposed the fine during a drive beside the Katlakuro pond in Swarparajpur Paschimpara, Jagadishpur Union, on Tuesday (10 November) afternoon. He was sentenced to 15 days’ simple imprisonment in default of payment.
Shahinur Rahman is the son of Mohiuddin of Swarparajpur village. Earlier, on Sunday (8 November) afternoon, a visit to the site found soil and sand being cut illegally from his land.
The visit found that Shahinur Rahman had dug soil out of land he owns, leaving it deep. This raised fears of damage to neighbouring farmers’ cropland. Local farmers allege that despite repeated warnings he would not listen to anyone.
Local farmer Laltu Rahman said Shahinur Rahman had been cutting and selling sand and soil from his land for four or five days and paid no heed to anyone who tried to stop him.
Local resident Raju Ahmed said the work was harming everyone around, because the area is surrounded by farmland.
Landowner Shahinur Rahman said he had cut the soil to fill a neighbouring plot, and that he would later bring soil from elsewhere to fill the farmland back in.
Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) GMA Munib ran the mobile court in the area on Tuesday afternoon. Truck driver Biplob Hossain (32), who was carrying the soil, fled. Landowner Shahinur Rahman was then fined Tk 10,000 under the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 1995, with 15 days’ simple imprisonment in default.
“Illegally cutting and selling soil in a way that harms farmland and the environment is a punishable offence,” Assistant Commissioner (Land) GMA Munib said. “The administration’s drives against such activities will continue. Necessary legal action will be taken against anyone who breaks the law.” Police were present during the drive.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report