Sylhet, Aug 16 (V7N) – Police have arrested five individuals in connection with the large-scale stone looting at the Bholaganj Sadapathar tourist center in Companiganj Upazila of Sylhet. The arrests were made on the east bank of the Dhalai River on Friday night (August 15).

Earlier, around 2,000 unidentified people were implicated in the incident. A case was filed Friday night by Director General of the Mineral Resources Development Bureau, Mohammad Anwarul Habib.

According to the case statement, miscreants have been illegally extracting stones worth crores of taka from the gazetted Bholaganj stone quarry since August 5 last year. Such actions violate Section 4(2)(j) of the Mines and Mineral Resources (Control and Development) Act, 1992, Rule 93(1) of the Mines and Mineral Resources Rules, 2012, and Sections 379 and 431 of the Penal Code, 1860. Authorities have urged that identities of all involved be verified through investigation to ensure legal action.

So far, an estimated 100,000 cubic feet of stolen stone has been recovered. Environmental activists and local businessmen claim that about 15 million cubic feet of stone have been looted from Sylhet in one year, with a market value exceeding two billion taka.

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