Farmland on the bank of the Fuljor river in Jhatibelai mouza of Kamarkhanda upazila, Sirajganj, has been buried under heaps of sand for almost two years. Fields that grew maize, brinjal and other crops until about a year ago are now covered in weeds.

According to local sources, the Water Development Board dredged the Fuljor to improve its navigability and dumped the sand on privately owned farmland along the bank. A local lessee later leased the sand from the government, but removal has stopped because of a legal dispute between the administration and the lessee.

By the farmers' own count, about 15 to 20 bigha of cropland belonging to ten farmers is trapped under the sand. The land used to yield 250-300 maunds of guava, 70-100 maunds of maize and 50-70 maunds of brinjal a year, among other crops, and the farmers say they are losing lakhs of taka every year.

Two of the affected farmers, Rafiqul Islam and Saiful Islam, said the land lying idle for so long had left them in severe difficulty, and that they could farm again if the sand were cleared quickly. The lessee is also losing money because he has not been able to carry the sand away on time.

"We do not want to harm ordinary people. We want to lift the sand from the land, but it cannot be moved now because of the legal complications. It will be removed as soon as the problem is settled," said the lessee, Md Atiqur Rahman Sohag.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Farid Hossain acknowledged that farmers were being badly hurt by the sand and said legal steps had been taken. Kamarkhanda UNO Dr Bipasha Hossain said several drives had been carried out against illegal sand removal from farmland, but because the work is done secretly late at night it is hard to catch those involved; an inquiry committee has been formed and a regular case has been filed in court.

Reported by Gazi Shahadat Hossain Firozi, Sirajganj, for Protidiner Sangbad.

Source: Protidiner Sangbad