Kapasia (Gazipur) Correspondent

Local residents have formed a human chain and protested to stop the sale of sand to prevent Shitalakshya river erosion, protect beauty and environment.

More than 200 people of the area including local residents, market traders, mosque committee musulli, union parishad and schedule office participated in the human chain.

The programme was held on the river bank in Durgapur Union Parishad Square of Kapasia upazila on Saturday.

Speakers said that if sand is taken from the surrounding areas including the hundred-year-old historic puzzle area of Kapasia of Shitalakshya river and Raniganj Bazaar, the houses of the area will be destroyed. If this sand is cut, there will be many problems. If there is no sand in this place, all the surrounding structures including the market will be destroyed. Sharif Fakir, a resident of Bari Gao village on the banks of the river, said, sand cutting will not work, it will not work, it will not work. Union Parishad must be saved, must be saved. The store must be saved, must be saved. Our river must be saved, must be saved. To save the market, it must be saved.

The mosque should be saved, saved, the schedule office should be saved, saved. He said that a Kuchkri Mahal is engaged in harvesting sand from the river along with the hundred-year-old historic Raniganj Bazaar. I have received news that this sand will come to cut. I will say, whether to sell sand, it should be seen first. Market trader Solaiman Molla said that a tourist center has been developed here.

This environment cannot be destroyed by cutting this sand. Raniganj Bazar Jame Masjid Imam said Azizul Islam said, we have to fix this Kheya Ghat. I can clearly understand that the sand of this Khayaghat will be cut. We will give blood on the sand but not take the sand. Market trader Nurul Haque said that Raniganj is named after the queen of Bhawal. And I will not let sand be sold from Rani Ganj Bazar Kheyaghat. Even if we arrange to sell it, we will give life. Sand will not be taken to protect Shitalakshya river.

Abdul Malek, a brave freedom fighter, said it was for the freedom fighters. Later, the government thought that sand was being raised in this place to protect the wreckage. We gave it to the government for the government's work here to protect the market and surrounding structures.

Now if sand is taken from this Khan, everything will be broken. We won't let that happen. Kapasia Upazila Nirbahi Officer AKM Lutfor Rahman said that the sale of sand has been discussed but no decision has been taken.