Rampant illegal soil excavation in Mirzapur is flattening forested hills, wrecking rural roads and threatening biodiversity as residents demand stronger enforcement and sustainable land use to protect communities and ecology.
Despite ongoing government crackdowns, illegal soil cutting continues across several unions in Mirzapur Upazila, posing serious threats to the environment, local infrastructure and biodiversity.
Villagers and environmental observers report that Ajgana, Banshtoil, Tarafpur, Latifpur and Gorai unions are witnessing rampant excavation of fertile red hills, known locally as tillas. These hills, once covered with native Shal, Gazari, jackfruit, mango and medicinal trees, provided habitat for diverse wildlife. Today, heavy machinery and trucks are stripping the hills, leaving deep ruts in rural roads and degrading the local ecosystem.
Local resident Hazrat Ali said, “The roads are nearly unusable. Dump trucks loaded with red soil run constantly. It is dangerous and damaging our fields.” Other villagers reported that many hills have already been flattened and soil dealers are preparing to target even more locations.
Officials from Tarafpur Union Parishad and other local authorities confirm that soil cutting is widespread. Union Chairman Aziz Reza said, “We alert the administration and try to stop them, but the traders are powerful and they often find ways to continue illegally.”
The Mirzapur Upazila Administration says it has launched day and night operations to combat illegal soil excavation. According to Upazila Executive Officer Suraiya Yasmin, fines totaling approximately 25 lakh Bangladeshi taka have been imposed over the past month and equipment has been seized. She added, “We will continue to pursue illegal soil cutting with all available legal measures.”
Soil traders claim that some individuals have left the business, but others have stepped in, making enforcement difficult. The combination of influential traders, lack of local resistance and high demand for red soil in brick-making fuels the ongoing crisis.
Residents and experts urge stricter regulation and sustainable land-use practices to protect the hills, preserve biodiversity and maintain the rural infrastructure that is already under strain from heavy vehicle traffic.
If left unchecked, Mirzapur’s hills and forests, once teeming with life and resources, could vanish, leaving long-term environmental and social consequences for the region. Environmentalists warn that continued removal of topsoil and flattening of hills could destroy habitats, reduce agricultural productivity and increase flooding risks. Sohanur Rahman, Executive Coordinator of YouthNet Global, said, “Soil and hillocks are critical for ecological balance. If this persists, we risk losing them completely within a few years.”
