Residents in coastal Satkhira allege ongoing night-time sand mining in key rivers, warning of worsening erosion, embankment instability and fresh displacement in Bangladesh’s cyclone-prone southwest.
Residents in the coastal district of Satkhira say illegal sand extraction from erosion-prone sections of the Kholpetua River and the Kapotakkho River is continuing at night, raising fears of riverbank collapse and threatening vulnerable communities.
The affected areas are mainly in Shyamnagar Upazila, a coastal sub-district near the Sundarbans where rivers play a critical role in drainage, fisheries and protecting embankments in this cyclone-prone region.
“Sand lifting starts as soon as night falls,” said Akram Hossain, a resident of Badyibari village in Atulia union. “Four or five cargo vessels and 10 to 12 engine boats operate throughout the night and they leave before sunrise.”
He said sand has been extracted for months from erosion-affected parts of the river. Although administrative drives sometimes halt the activity briefly, operations resume soon afterward.
Residents allege that individuals linked to local youth wings of different political parties are involved in the sand business and that their influence has discouraged complaints from being addressed effectively.
Ranjit Mondal, a resident near the Golatepa ferry ghat area in Padmapukur union, said river erosion has already forced many families to relocate.
“The river swallowed our ancestral homes long ago and we had to rebuild near the embankment. If sand continues to be lifted like this, we will again face erosion,” he said.
Similar concerns were raised by residents from villages along the two rivers in several unions of Shyamnagar as well as parts of neighboring Ashashuni Upazila.
Local sources said the government excluded many of these disaster-prone and erosion-vulnerable areas from official sand quarry listings for the current Bengali year. However, a small five-acre area in Hijaldia mouza of Ashashuni was declared a sand quarry for what authorities described as public interest work.
Residents allege that the leaseholder, operating under the name Gazi Enterprise, has been extracting sand far beyond the approved site, effectively using the permit to mine across wider sections of the rivers.
Most extraction reportedly takes place between evening and dawn from river chars such as Khoshalkhali Char, Biralakhmi Char and Gholar Char. Continuous dredging has heightened fears of erosion among residents in nearby communities.
Locals also claim that transporting sand from the approved quarry area costs more, encouraging operators to extract sand illegally from closer river sections for higher profit.
Attempts to contact individuals named by residents were unsuccessful. One local leader denied illegal extraction, claiming sand is collected only from designated areas and acknowledging that several partners are involved in the business.
Law enforcement officials said they would look into the matter. The officer-in-charge of the Burigoalini River Police outpost said they were not fully aware of the latest allegations and would inform the local land administration.
Shyamnagar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shamsuzzahan Konok said immediate action would be taken if illegal sand extraction is confirmed and that river police would be instructed again to monitor the situation.
Officials from the Bangladesh Water Development Board warned that unregulated sand lifting could severely damage river systems and weaken coastal protection embankments.
Sub-divisional Engineer Imran Sardar said there are currently no approved sand quarries in the area. Those extracting sand are doing so illegally, he said, adding that uncontrolled dredging is harming the rivers and could jeopardize the stability of coastal embankments if the practice continues in this climate-vulnerable coastal region.
