Stone looting leaves Sylhet's Sharpin Tila in dire straits

SYLHET, Aug 20: With the looting of huge stones from the renowned Sharpin Tila in Sylhet's Companiganj, the hillock is almost gone.

The 126-acre hillock is now almost levelled due to the indiscriminate looting of stones.

Locals said at least 30 people are directly responsible for destroying the natural site, where six labourers, while extracting stones, met the tragic end of their lives in land collapse years ago.

After the deaths, a probe committee led by the additional district magistrate mentioned the names of over 250 people, including local leaders of the Awami League, BNP, and others, for their involvement in looting stones.

But none has been punished yet.

Months ago, some 11 police officials, who guarded the area, were withdrawn after the media reported open lifting of stones from the site.

Locals said after destroying a major part of the huge hillocks, only the shrines of Hazrat Shah Arpin (locals call him Sharpin) and others with some trees remained untouched.

The looters destroyed the whole site during the last one year.

They even occupied the land of the mosque and the graveyard. Almost nothing exists there now.

Amid the recent drives over stone looting at Sadapathar and other places, the looters stopped due to the administration's strict stance, locals said.

However, they did not remove the tools used for stone lifting and are maybe waiting for the situation to cool.

Some are waiting to resume their activities. Steel pipes and stone lifting tools are still there.

Huge ditches are visible here and there due to the last one year's digging and looting, while some temporary roads have been created for transporting stones.

The Surjokhal is non-existent now, which used to have water rolling down from the frontier area years ago.

The hillocks at Chikadohor, Zaliarpar, Motiatila, etc. around the Sharpin Tila are also levelled. Looting remains stopped for four days, some locals said.

The shrine used to be attended by a good number of people from different places.

The Awami League started the quarry after 1998, but after three leases, the quarry was dropped from the gazette.

The Sharpin Tila and the quarry area were looted by various groups from 2004 to 2019.

Of the 136-acre area, 10 acres were for the shrine, recorded as waqf land and the rest as Khash Khotian (government land).

The Awami League men were in control till the political changes of 2024, which then went to the BNP and some AL men.

The group includes the shrine caretaker's son Monir Mia, ex-motwali Anwar Hossain, ex-ward Jubo League president Faizur Rahman, Pashchim union BNP secretary Shebul Ahmed, union BNP ex-secretary Aziruddin, upazila Tanti League president Ismail Ali, Jubo Dal's Babul Ahmed, and Jamaat's Yakub Ali.

During the last one year, 20 to 40 truckloads of stones were looted daily.

Motwali Anwar Hossain denied the allegations, saying he had been in the movement for protecting the shrine, graveyard, and the attached field. Ismail Ali said he is just a trader, and the quarry labourers are involved in looting.

Officer-in-Charge of Companiganj Police Station Ujayer Al Mahmud Adnan told reporters that police, while carrying out drives in the area, were attacked four times.

Extraction is now stopped, he added.

BELA regional coordinator Shah Shaheda said neither the administration nor other bodies were sincere in protecting the Sharpin Tila.

Environmental activists had been always vocal, but nothing could be done, Shaheda said.

Sylhet divisional director of environment Ferdous Anwar admitted that several drives with the help of the administration were carried out at the Sharpin Tila during the last one year and cases were lodged, but it could not be protected.

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