The High Court has directed authorities to submit a list of individuals involved in looting white stones from Bholaganj in Companiganj Upazila and to restore all looted stones to their original locations within seven days.
The order was issued by a High Court bench comprising Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque and Justice Ainun Nahar Siddique on Thursday. Advocate Monzil Morsed represented the petitioners during the hearing.
In a related matter, the High Court has scheduled another hearing on Sunday, August 17, regarding a writ petition seeking appropriate legal action against those responsible for the looting.
This bench, led by Justice Fahmida Kader and Justice Syed Zahed Monsur, will examine the matter. Advocate Mir A.K.M. Nurun Nabi appeared on behalf of the petitioners.
The writ petition requests that the government take proper action against those involved in the looting and deploy additional law enforcement personnel at the site.
It also seeks an explanation as to why the inaction of the relevant government officials in preventing the looting cannot be declared illegal.
The looting of large quantities of stones from Bholaganj has reportedly continued over the past year, particularly after government changes in August 2024.
Local authorities have been accused of failing to prevent the illegal extraction despite public visibility of the operations.
