Illegal Stone Extraction: 2 workers killed in landslide

Two workers were killed and as many injured in a landslide while extracting stone illegally from Nayabasti area in the district's Gowainghat upazila early yesterday.

The dead, Akram Hossain, 35, and Lichu Miah, 25, are from Tukerbazar area of Sylhet.

Delwar Hossain, officer-in-charge of Gowainghat Police Station, said four workers went to the area in Jaflong around 6:00am to extract stone from a trench. Suddenly, a landslide hit the pit, leaving the two dead on the spot.

The two injured were admitted to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital. The two bodies were sent to the medical college for autopsy, the OC added.

Salah Uddin, upazila nirbahi officer of Gowainghat, said the landslide area had been abandoned for years as there was hardly any stone. The four were working in the trench near the dyke of a small river when the landslide struck.

Some 20 workers have been killed so far this year in landslides at different illegal quarries in Gowainghat, Companiganj and Kanaighat upazilas, according to the district administration.

A taskforce was formed several years ago with representatives from Gowainghat upazila administration, police and Border Guard Bangladesh to stop the illegal stone extraction in the upazila.

During a mobile court operation hours later, the upazila nirbahi officer is pouring petrol to burn down a machine used for illegal stone extraction. Photo: Star

Faruk Mahmud Chowdhury, president of Shushashoner Janney Nagorik's (Sujan) Sylhet chapter, said the taskforce could not take effective measures to stop the illegal activity.

He said the taskforce should have members from non-government organisations to ensure its transparency. He urged local Awami League lawmaker Imran Ahmed (Sylhet-4) to clarify his stance on illegal extraction of stone.

UNO Salah Uddin, however, claimed that the taskforce took an active role in stopping illegal stone extraction in the upazila. Yesterday's landslide scene was not under surveillance as it was not listed as a stone extraction site, he added.

'SYNDICATE OF TRADERS ACTIVE'

The committee formed by the Sylhet district administration to probe the January 23 landslide at a Companiganj quarry found evidence of cutting hillocks in the upazila.

It filed the probe report to the Sylhet deputy commissioner on February 3.

Abu Shafayat Md Shahedul Islam, additional district magistrate of Sylhet and also the only member of the probe body, said at least 47 stone traders formed a syndicate in Companiganj to extract and sell stone in connivance with some local police and administration officials, elected public representatives and journalists.

He said the Companiganj UNO and OC of the local police station took more than four hours to reach the landslide scene on January 23. Five workers were killed on that day.

Police could not arrest Anju Miah, the prime accused in the case filed in connection with the landslide, although he was staying at a Sylhet hotel that day, added Shahedul.

Police conducted another investigation into the incident and submitted the report to the deputy inspector general of Sylhet police last month.

The district administration later transferred Companiganj UNO Md Masum Billah to Shalla upazila in Sunamganj, former Sylhet deputy commissioner Joynal Abedin told The Daily Star last month.

Baes Alam, OC of Companiganj Police Station, was closed to the district police lines.

Joynal said he could not make the probe report public as there were some issues which should not be disclosed immediately.

He denied the allegation of some district administration officials' involvement in illegal extraction of stone.

Abdul Karim Kim, general secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon's (Bapa) Sylhet chapter, alleged that the local administration always tries to cover up the incidents of hillock cutting and stone extraction as it is responsible for the casualties of workers.

WORKERS DENIED RIGHTS

According to local NGOs, thousands of workers work at stone quarries in Sylhet without any safety gears.

Emad Ullah Shahidul Islam, former president of Sylhet District Bar Association, said stone traders never allow the workers to enjoy their rights set out in Bangladesh Labour Code 2006. The workers are denied safety and proper wages, he added.

Md Ariful Islam, deputy inspector general of Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments in Sylhet, said they so far filed 15 cases in connection with landslides at quarries.