Conduct judicial enquiry to find those responsible for cutting topsoil in Satkania: HC

The High Court today ordered to conduct a judicial inquiry to find out the persons responsible for cutting the topsoil of agricultural land at Satkania upazila in Chattogram and making it unfit for cultivation.

The Chattogram district judge has been asked to nominate a magistrate to hold the enquiry and submit a report to the court in a month.

At the same time, the HC ordered the deputy commissioner and superintendent of police of the district to fill up the topsoil of agricultural land in Satkania, which has been cut, bringing alluvium from outside within 30 days.

The HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Atabullah passed the order during the hearing on a writ petition filed by local resident Abdul Munaf seeking necessary directives to protect the agricultural land of the area.

Chattogram's DC, SP, Satkania UNO and its police station's OC virtually joined the hearing as per its earlier directive.

They told the HC that they have already taken necessary measures to stop cutting topsoil of agricultural land at Satkania upazila, Deputy Attorney General Tushar Kanti Roy told The Daily Star.

Writ petitioner's lawyer Ujjal Paul told this correspondent that a vested quarter had reportedly been cutting the topsoil of the agricultural land in Satkania indiscriminately causing erosion of its cropland.

They were cutting the soil at night and delivered it to the brickyards by dumpers (minitrucks), he said.