‘Illegal sand mining’ in River Jadukata endangers key infrastructures

Temples, roads and bridges worth more than Tk50 crore are under threat of collapse due to alleged illegal sand mining along the banks of the River Jadukata in Tahirpur upazila of Sunamganj.

The centuries-old Sri Sri Advaita Janmdham temple complex, the bathing ghat of Pantirtha, and several under-construction infrastructure projects in the Rajargaon area under Badaghat Union are facing serious erosion, according to locals.

The erosion has intensified as sand diggers reportedly cut the western bank of the river at night using dredgers and other machinery, they alleged.

The Adaita Janmadham Panatirtha Central Management Committee on Tuesday (February 17) submitted a written complaint to the district administration seeking urgent intervention to protect the temple complex and surrounding infrastructure.

Earlier, on 5 February, the Executive Engineer of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Md Anwar Hossain, also informed higher authorities in writing about the potential danger.

According to the complaint, two local residents, Kanan Bandhu Roy and Setu Ranjan Roy, have allegedly been selling floating river chars to sand miners through verbal agreements, enabling indiscriminate sand and stone extraction. The committee claimed that such activities have made the mining syndicate reckless, putting religious and public properties at grave risk.

For the past 70 years, lakhs of devotees gather on the banks of the Jadukata near Rajargaon to during Ganga Puja. A Tk25 crore development project is currently underway at Advaita Janmabhoomi, which includes constructing embankments along the river and building two ghats to facilitate devotees during the annual bathing festival.

In addition, road construction projects connecting Shah Arefin’s Mokam, Barek’s Tila, Shimul Bagan, Shaheed Siraj Lake (Niladri Lake) and Tanguar Haor are progressing along the riverbank.

Locals feared that continued sand extraction could cause newly built roads to sink into the riverbed before completion, while temples and bathing ghats may also be submerged.

The management committee, in a petition signed by its president Karuna Sindhu Chowdhury Babul and general secretary, Adaita Roy, demanded an urgent investigation and strict action against those involved in cutting the riverbank.

In a separate letter to the Project Director of the Adaitacharya Temple Complex Development Project, LGED Executive Engineer Md Anwar Hossain warned that ongoing sand and gravel extraction near the Adaita Mahaprabhu temple could cause the adjacent box culvert, connecting road and parts of the temple complex to collapse into the river, disrupting communication.

Adaita Roy, general secretary of the management committee, alleged that the landowners have already endangered local residents by allowing the riverbank to be cut. “Out of concern, I have again submitted a written application to the District Commissioner,” he said, adding that copies were also sent to the Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Divisional Commissioner, the Superintendent of Police and the Upazila Nirbahi Officer.

Attempts to contact Kanan Bandhu Roy were unsuccessful as his phone was switched off.

However, Setu Ranjan Roy denied the allegations, claiming that his house and a bridge along the riverbank had already collapsed into the river due to erosion. “I repeatedly tried to stop sand extraction from my registered land after it went into the river. Unable to prevent it, I made a verbal agreement with some people and allowed them to use the space,” he said.

Tahirpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Mehedi Hasan Manik said no one, regardless of influence, would be allowed to cut riverbanks or extract sand illegally. “There is no question of permitting sand removal from the riverbank adjacent to Advaita Janmabhoomi.

Necessary steps will be taken, and no concessions will be made,” he added.