Swechhasebak Dal leader sued for illegal sand, stone extraction

Police have filed a case against a Swechhasebak Dal leader on charges of illegally extracting sand and stones from the Dharla River using a dredger machine in Patgram upazila of Lalmonirhat.
Five more individuals have also been accused in the case.
For the past few days, Swechhasebak Dal leader Raju Ahmed and his associates had been illegally extracting sand and stones. Acting on a tip-off, police conducted an operation this afternoon, seizing the dredger machine and other equipment used in the extraction. Upon noticing the police presence, Raju and his men fled the scene.
Raju Ahmed, 30, is the joint convener of Patgram Swechhasebak Dal. The other accused are Shyamal Mia, 28, Rabiul Islam, 35, Noor Islam, 30, Bhuttu Mia, 38, and Shahin Mia, 30, all residents of Ufarmara village. Additionally, 8-10 unnamed individuals have also been implicated in the case.
Sub-Inspector (SI) Hamidur Rahman of Patgram Police Station, the complainant in the case, said when the police team led by him arrived at the scene, around 14-15 people, including Raju, managed to flee. While the identities of six individuals were immediately confirmed, the names and addresses of the others remain unknown. The seized equipment has been taken into police custody. A case has been filed under Section 15(1) of the Sand and Soil Management Act, 2010.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) Ashrafuzzaman Sarkar of the same station said that the police had previously warned individuals against using dredgers to extract sand and stones illegally. Despite the ban, extraction continued. The police are actively pursuing the accused, and strict measures are being enforced to curb illegal extraction from the river.
Raju remains at large, and attempts to contact him were unsuccessful as his mobile phone was switched off.
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