Sylhet business owners, workers demand reopening of stone quarries, end to harassment

Sylhet District Stone-Related Businessmen Owners-Workers Unity Council held a press conference in the district today (18 June). Photo: Collected

Stone-related businessmen and workers in Sylhet have placed three key demands, including the immediate reopening of closed stone quarries.

The demands were announced at a press conference held today (18 June) by the Sylhet District Stone-Related Businessmen Owners-Workers Unity Council.

Speaking at the event, the organisation’s spokesperson Shabbir Ahmed Fayez presented a written statement, outlining their demands including immediate reopening of officially approved stone quarries, an end to police harassment of stone-laden vehicles, particularly in the Humayun Rashid Chattar area and restoration of electricity connections to quarry sites.

The closure of Sylhet’s stone quarries began following a 2015 government gazette that declared Jaflong an Environmentally Critical Area (ECA), based on a 2012 petition by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA).

Later, in January 2016, the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources designated 22.59 acres of Jaflong as a geological heritage site, halting leasing and operations across five key quarry zones including Jaflong and Bholaganj.

However, since 5 August last year, quarry looting reportedly increased due to lax enforcement.

Amid this situation, business owners and workers have been persistently demanding the resumption of legal operations.

Speakers at today’s press conference highlighted that the livelihoods of millions in Sylhet depend on the stone trade. The prolonged shutdown has led to job losses and financial strain across the sector.

They added that the government is also losing significant revenue, while thousands of truck drivers, helpers, and their families are suffering.

They further alleged that although stone and coal can be imported from India’s Meghalaya, extraction within Bangladesh from rivers like the Piyain, Dhalai, Goain, and Sari has been halted. This has resulted in riverbed siltation, reduced water flow, and the transformation of fertile land into sandy wastelands.

Due to the ban, incidents of illegal stone theft, extortion, and unauthorized cross-border imports have increased, causing additional economic losses, they claimed.

The organisation warned that if their demands are not met by 22 June, they will announce stricter programmes.