HC orders action over Bholaganj stone looting

The High Court today directed the government to submit, within three months, a list of those involved in looting stones from the Bholaganj tourist site in Sylhet's Companiganj upazila.

It also ordered the Sylhet district administration to return all looted stones to their original location within seven days.

The HC bench of Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque and Justice Aynun Nahar Siddiqua issued the directive after hearing a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) seeking necessary orders to stop further looting.

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Advocate Manzill Murshid moved the petition.

Another HC bench of Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Syed Jahed Mansur fixed next Sunday for hearing a separate writ petition filed by Advocate Mir AKM Nurun Noby as a public interest litigation.

That petition sought an order for the government to submit its own inquiry report on the looting, take legal action against the perpetrators, and deploy additional forces to prevent further illegal stone extraction.

It also sought an order asking why the authorities' inaction should not be declared illegal.