In an overnight operation, joint forces recovered 12,000 cubic feet of looted stones from the famous tourist spot Sada Pathor in Companyganj, Sylhet, and returned them to their original location along the banks of the Dholai River.
The operation, conducted since midnight on Wednesday, also resulted in the seizure of 70 trucks on the Companyganj–Sylhet highway on suspicion of transporting stolen stones.
The district administration and law enforcement agencies in Sylhet city and Bholaganj area of Companyganj upazila jointly carried out the drives.
Companyganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Azizunnahar confirmed the recovery. “The stones were seized from various locations and scattered back into the Sada Pathor area and the Dholai River with the assistance of a six-member joint force. Another team is running a drive today, and operations will continue until all looted stones are recovered,” she said.
The raids followed an emergency coordination meeting held on Wednesday evening at the Sylhet Circuit House, attended by senior officials from various departments. The meeting decided that joint forces would maintain a 24-hour presence in the Sada Pathor area to protect the site.
During the operation, stacked stones were found at various locations along the Dholai River and transported back to Sada Pathor. A check post was also set up in front of Sylhet Club in the airport area of the Sylhet–Bholaganj road, where several trucks carrying stones were stopped and seized.
Sylhet Metropolitan Police Media Officer and Additional Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Saiful Islam said, “We are coordinating with the administration to recover stolen stones from Sada Pathor, and the joint forces’ operation is ongoing.”
The Wednesday meeting produced five key decisions to protect the Sada Pathor area. These are; 24-hour joint force patrolling in the Jaflong ECA area and the Sada Pathor area, round-the-clock duty with the joint force at the police check posts in Gowainghat and Companiganj, disconnecting the power of the illegal crusher machine, identifying and arresting all those involved in the stone theft and bringing them under the law, and recovering the stolen stones and returning them to their previous location.
Earlier, the district administration formed a three-member investigation committee into the looting incident, with a report due by Sunday. Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has visited Sada Pathor to conduct its own inquiry.