Forest dept destroys road, 28 sand extractors inside reserve forest

The forest department has demolished a road built within a reserve forest to transport sand and destroyed 28 sand extracting machines during a drive at Chakaria upazila of Cox's Bazar.

The drive that began yesterday ended today (April 15, 2022).

Cox's Bazar (north) Divisional Forest Office in cooperation with the Chakaria upazila administration conducted the drive at Dangarbil, Paglirbil, Rangmahal and Dulahajara canal areas where sand looters have been extracting sand for years.

Anowar Hossain Sarker, divisional forest officer of Cox's Bazar (north) told The Daily Star that they destroyed 28 machines engaged in extracting sand, cut into pieces 1,600 feet of pipe and smashed a half kilometre road built to transport sand from the forest.

"We are going to file cases against the perpetrators and won't spare anyone involved in this destruction," said the forest official.