Sada Pathar now a barren sandbank

Once famed for its crystalline waters and scattered white stones, the picturesque Sada Pathar -- where the Dhalai River kisses the Meghalayan foothills -- now lies stripped and silent, its natural splendour buried beneath swathes of lifeless sand.

A group of tourists from Cumilla, spellbound by the translucent river and the rolling green backdrop, took a boat from Bholaganj to witness what was once one of Sylhet’s crown jewels.

Their excitement, however, faded swiftly upon arrival.

The stones they had come to see had all but vanished.

Speaking on their return journey, one of the visitors, Md Noman Ahmed, expressed deep frustration.

“We’re disappointed. The looting is happening right under the authorities’ nose. If they wanted, they could stop this,” he said.

“What’s lost is lost. At least what little remains should be protected. It feels like an entire tourism industry was destroyed overnight. We urge the authorities to revive this site.”

Another member of the group, Hossain Md Ershad, said: “I visited before, and there used to be a lot of stones. Now, it’s all gone -- right in front of the administration. They hold no accountability. Everyone knows Sada Pathar is a famous tourist destination, yet it’s been ruined.

“These stones were taken in the dark of night, and everyone in Bholaganj knows where they’ve gone.”

The once vibrant area, where stones naturally gathered at the mouth of the Dhalai River near the Companiganj border, has been ravaged by relentless plundering.

Hundreds of crores worth of mineral resources have been looted both day and night under the watch of local authorities.

Local residents allege that the operation was carried out with the backing of powerful interests, including “dishonest” members of the administration, law-enforcing agencies, and political figures.

Despite public outcry, media coverage, and repeated objections, little has been done to halt the destruction.

Recent media coverage and social media outcry have forced the administration’s hands.

Amid growing uproar over the state of Sada Pathar, the Sylhet district administration has pledged to recover the looted stones and restore the area to its former condition.

In an emergency meeting on Wednesday, the district administration took several decisions to ensure swift action, including:

• Recovering the stolen stones and returning them to their original locations.
• Deploying joint forces round-the-clock in the sandstone area as well as in the Jaflong ECA area.
• Stationing joint forces at checkpoints in Gowainghat and Companiganj continuously.
• Continuing operations to shut down illegal stone-crushing machines, including disconnecting their electricity supply.
• Identifying and arresting those involved in stone theft and bringing them under legal action.

Earlier, over the unprecedented plundering in the sandstone area, Sylhet District Commissioner Mohammad Sher Mahbub Murad announced on Wednesday the formation of a three-strong committee, headed by an additional district commissioner.

“This looting is deeply unfortunate,” said Sylhet Deputy Commission (DC) Mohammad Sher Mahbub Murad.

“We’ve formed a committee to look into what’s happening at Sada Pathar and why. The committee will submit its report by Sunday.”

‘STRAIN’ IN TOURISM BUSINESS

The Sada Pathar tourist centre had supported the livelihoods of many locals. With the disappearance of the stones, the area has begun to lose its charm, and local residents say that tourist numbers are dropping day by day.

Md Sajjad Hossain Chowdhury, a tourist from Munshiganj, said: “I hadn’t been here before, but I was captivated by the beauty I saw on my phone and came to visit Sada Pathar. I’m very disappointed. Everywhere I looked, the stones were gone. I didn’t see any official presence here.

“In Jaflong, I saw stones being taken right in front of us while police said nothing. Yet they were stopping tourists from going into the area. Around 80 percent of the stones at Sada Pathar have already been taken.

“Let at least the remaining 20 percent stay. We demand that the administration take strict action to protect this tourist destination,” he added.

Md Alauddin, president of the Sada Pathar Photography Society, said: “We are resisting the looting, but the administration is taking no steps. If this continues, more than 1,000 business owners and 150 photographers will lose their livelihoods. Once the beauty is gone, the tourists won’t return.”

Hasan Mia, who earns his living by giving tourists horse rides, said: “We all try to stop the looting, but they don’t listen. I earn Tk 500 a day running this horse, and that money keeps my family fed. But now the stones are gone, tourists no longer come.

“My horse doesn’t run anymore, and there’s no income. Our families are struggling badly.”

Boatmen who take tourists from Bholaganj Ghat to Sada Pathar also reported a steep decline in activity.

Several boatmen said daily trips have reduced drastically.

Where they used to make six to seven trips a day, they now make only two to three.

One boatman said: “Our boatmen’s association has 160 boats. On Fridays, 80 to 100 boats used to go out. Now, just 35 get a turn each day, and even then, most can’t manage more than two or three trips.

“We charge Tk 800 per round trip, but the demand just isn’t there anymore.”

Abdul Karim Chowdhury Kim, central committee member of Dharitree Rokkay Amra-DHORA, said: “The stones at Sada Pathar have been looted. This season’s entire deposit has been taken. And there’s no sign that it will stop here.

“Other areas in Sylhet are being prepared for extraction too,” he added. “In Jaflong’s Zero Point, stone lifting has resumed, and the destruction will continue.

“If the administration continues to shrug off its responsibilities, the people of Sylhet must take to the streets in protest.”

SANDBANKS, PITS

On Tuesday afternoon, a visit to the boat terminal in Bholaganj revealed a notable absence of tourists. Boatmen and traders sat idle at the Ghat.

Travelling upriver towards Sada Pathar, it became clear that the flow of tourist boats had slowed to a trickle.

Upon disembarking, one was greeted not by the famed white stones, but by a barren expanse of sandbanks.

The stone plundering has exposed the sandy bed beneath, leaving behind nothing but empty stretches of lifeless terrain.

Walking across the sand to the main spot, a few scattered stones could be seen. In some places, even the central tourist area had been overtaken by sand.

Sun-bleached chairs, once placed for resting visitors, now stood abandoned in the sand. The footfall was visibly lower than on previous days.

Still, a few tourists were seen swimming or soaking in the shallow, transparent current that flowed gently over the remaining stones.

Some sat waist-deep in water, throwing sparkling splashes into the air.

A handful gathered small stones and sat quietly by the riverside, trying to enjoy what little beauty remained.

From the left of the Sada Pathar tourist spot to the area known as “Bunker”, countless pits had been dug for stone extraction.

Some holes were three feet deep, others five.

These gaping scars have caused sand to rise to the surface, and where once layers of stones had built up as recently as May, now only sand remains.

GOVT STRUCTURES AT RISK

Mohammad Zahirul Haque, a lifelong member and organiser of DHORA, warned of greater dangers.

He explained that the Dhalai River brings strong currents and carries stones down from India’s Meghalaya state. These stones accumulate across more than five acres, creating a stunning natural landscape. But everything changed after Aug 5, 2024.

That night, stone and sand plundering began across Sada Pathar, Jaflong, Bisnakandi and other areas, he added.

“We visited Sada Pathar and appealed to the authorities to stop the looting. But our efforts were in vain,” said Zahirul.

“Sada Pathar has been covered by the media, but the plundering of Jaflong, Lalakhal, Lawachara and many other areas hasn’t received the same attention.”

A researcher on stone quarries, Zahirul said: “Restoring Sada Pathar to its original condition involves both environmental factors and human intervention. This area must be urgently declared an Environmentally Critical Area (ECA) and steps must be taken to control human activity.

“Let the river behave like a river again. Only then is there hope it might return to what it once was,” he added.

THOSE BEHIND THE LOOTING

Residents of Bholaganj and the Sada Pathar area have alleged that prominent figures from different political parties, including the BNP and its youth wing Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, are directly involved in the systematic looting of stones.

Locals claim that Shahab Uddin -- the recently suspended president of the upazila BNP -- has been leading the looting operations on the western bank of Sada Pathar and the nearby Railway Bunker area.

On the eastern side, the operation is reportedly headed by several individuals, including Bahar Ahmed Ruhel, joint general secretary of the Sylhet District Jubo Dal.

Further allegations have been levelled against Maksud Ahmed, general secretary of Sylhet District Jubo Dal, and Alfu Miah, vice-president of the local Upazila Awami League, with locals accusing them of being actively involved in the illegal sand and stone trade.

In protest, residents of the Dhalai River area held a human chain and demonstration on Tuesday, demanding immediate protection of the Dhalai Bridge and the surrounding environment.

The protest lasted two hours, from 1:00pm to 3:00pm, near the foot of the bridge.

When contacted, Maksud’s phone was found switched off.

In response to the accusations, Bahar denied any involvement in stone looting. “I have no ties to the sand or stone business. These claims are politically motivated -- a smear campaign by my opponents.

“I run a diesel and engine oil business, not involved in this at all,” he added.

ACC BLAMES LOCAL AUTHORITIES

Officials from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), who recently visited Sada Pathar, have pointed the finger at local authorities for failing to prevent what they described as “unprecedented plundering” of the area.

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday following a field inspection, Rafi Md Nazmus Sadat, deputy director of the ACC Sylhet office, said: “This was, first and foremost, the responsibility of the local administration. They should have acted sooner and more effectively.

“Authorities like the Bureau of Mineral Development and others linked to environmental regulation also had a duty to prevent such destruction.”

Asked why the ACC only visited the site after the looting had occurred, he explained: “We act based on instructions from our head office. Once the directive came, we responded. That said, Sada Pathar is quite far from our office and we face manpower shortages.”On the question of who is behind the looting, Sadat said: Numerous stone-crushing mills operate in the vicinity, many of which are believed to be using stones illegally extracted from this area.

“Information received points to the involvement of powerful local individuals, influential businessmen, and political figures. These claims will be investigated further.

Attempts to contact Companiganj Upazila Administrator (UNO) Azizun Nahar were unsuccessful.

Companiganj Police Station chief Uzair Mahmud Adnan said, “We’ve already filed 20 cases in connection with the looting of Sada Pathar. Upon receiving any intelligence, our task force -- led by magistrates -- conducts operations in the area.

“We also maintain routine patrols to deter illegal activities,” he added.