Sylhet Bureau

Bangladesh Naval Police have seized two dredgers and a mineral sand-laden trawler from the Surma River in Jamalganj upazila of Sunamganj, arresting two individuals involved in the extraction, purchase, sale, and transport of mineral sand using banned, environmentally destructive dredger machines.

Sylhet Region Naval Police Superintendent of Police Falguni Porakyastha confirmed the information on Wednesday.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Hridoy Mia, son of Mostu Mia, and another Hridoy Mia, son of Ajid Mia, both hailing from Fotua village in Khaliajuri upazila of Netrokona district.

On Tuesday night, ASI Al Imran Bin Razzak of the Lalpur Naval Police Outpost filed a case at Jamalganj Police Station, seizing evidence valued at approximately BDT 9.75 lakh—including the sand-laden trawler and two dredgers—while showing the two arrested men and one other as a fugitive accused.

According to the case statement, the accused had been colluding for the past several months to extract, buy, sell, and transport mineral sand using dredger machines at various points along the Surma River in Jamalganj.

On Tuesday afternoon, personnel on duty at the Lalpur Naval Police Outpost checkpoint in Jamalganj intercepted the sand-laden trawler and two dredgers, seizing the materials and arresting the two suspects.

However, allegations have surfaced that Inspector Sojal Kumar Kanu, the in-charge of the Lalpur Naval Police Outpost, attempted to employ various tactics to secure the release of the seized vessels, equipment, and arrested individuals through a covert understanding while staying outside the outpost. When the matter was brought to the attention of higher naval police authorities, the formal case was lodged at Jamalganj Police Station.

Further accusations claim that the outpost in-charge regularly collects lakhs of taka in monthly extortion (masowara) in the name of naval police from Indian bidi smugglers in Jamalganj, third-gender individuals collecting tolls from watercraft in Amanipur, fishermen catching fish using banned current and seine nets in the Surma River, cattle markets, and from near the BIWTA point at the confluence of the Rokti River.

Denying the allegations, Lalpur Naval Police Outpost In-Charge Sojal Kumar Kanu said , "I am outside right now, I will talk about this later." He also added that he maintains good relations with several journalists.