Farmers of three villages in Ghior upazila yesterday protested the soil extraction from agricultural land and demanded a halt to plying of soil-laden trucks on cropland.

They demanded this at a human chain programme at Manikganj Press Club premises and submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner in Manikganj.

The speakers said Awlad Hossain of Bashtia village sold soil of his 150 decimals of land to trader Ifty Arif, also an accused in different criminal cases.

As Awlad's land is about one kilometre from the road, many trucks, engaged in transporting the extracted soil, have been driven through croplands, causing damage to them, they alleged.