Stone theft at Companiganj in Sylhet continues, with the police seizing one more stone-laden truck early Friday in Bholaganj area of the upazila and arresting the truck driver.
The arrested was Md Nasir, 30, of Taltala village at Balaganj upazila in the district, the police said.
Earlier, four trucks loaded with stones extracted from Shah Arefin Tila, a hillock with an area of 137.5 acres of land, at the Bholaganj area were seized early hours of November 6.
Widespread looting of stones from Sadapathar, a popular tourist destination, and from Bisnakandi, another tourist spot, in the Bholaganj area, had occurred a few months back, sparking outcries across the country.
Local residents, however, alleged that stones theft from Shah Arefin Tila where situated the shrine of Hazrat Shah Arefin, one of 360 companions of Hazrat Shahjalal, continued almost every day ignoring the surveillance of the local administration.
Companiganj police station officer-in-charge Md Ratan Sheikh told 抖阴精品 that a drive led by the upazila assistant commissioner (land) Polash Talukder, also an executive magistrate, was conducted at the Shah Arefin Tila at about 12:30am Friday.
He said that a truck loaded with stones of the Shah Arefin Tila, one of the few spots in Sylhet where extraction of stones is banned, was seized at that time and its driver was also arrested.
鈥楲ater, the executive magistrate Polash Talukder conducted a mobile court operation and fined the truck driver Tk 50,000,鈥� the police officer said, adding that the truck and its driver was released after the fine was paid.聽
Helal Miah, a resident of Bholaganj village, told 抖阴精品 that the amount seized was insignificant compared with the amount stolen.
Villagers said that the shrine of Hazrat Shah Arefin was at risk due to the stealing of stones from the hillock.
On October 28, the police also seized a truck loaded with tones from the Shah Arefin Tila and arrested the truck driver while he was trying to go away carrying the stolen stones.
Companiganj upazila nirbahi officer Md Rabin Mia claimed that the spots enriched with mineral resources, like Shah Arefin Tila, of the upazila were kept under close watch of the administration.
鈥楾aking advantage of poor road communication, the miscreants sometimes tried to steal stones from the hillock, but the law enforcers foiled almost all of their bids,鈥� he claimed.聽聽聽