Illegal sand excavators at Jamuna river bed near Pechakola village managed to escape when several hundred villagers armed with sticks and weapons chased them away on Saturday morning.
It is learnt, by exerting muscle and political power, illegal sand excavators had been exploring sand from the confluence of Hurasagar and Jamuna rivers near Charpechakola village under Nakalia union of Bera upazila of Pabna district for more than 10-year.
As a result of excavating sand from the area, more than 75 per cent areas of Char Pechakola village have been eroded into the river and rest of the parts was also on the verge of erosion. Water Development Board officials in Bera used to dump the riverside with Geo and jute bags every year during the monsoon to save the remaining part of the village from being devoured by the current of river water.
But, due to lifting of sand from near the village by using dredger and excavators, the village continued to be eroded in the river. Though the local administration occsionally conducted raids in the area, seized the dredgers, fined the sand excavators and even awarded them jail, illegal lifting of sand from the area could not be resisted by any means. By defying repeated prohibitions and requests from the local UP members and the villagers, the illegal sand excavators were continuing to lift sand from the river throughout the night.
Those illegal sand excavators being powerful and influential moneyed men of the sadar upazila, were continuing the illegal sand lifting by threatening the villagers.
Such, activities of the illegal sand excavators created wrath among the villagers and on Saturday morning several hundred people of the villlage Charpachakola of Bera Upazila and Bherakola, Dewantartia and Tartia under Shahjadpur upazila armed with sticks and weapons chased the sand excavators.
By being chased by several hundred angry people, sand excavators managed to escape the scene with their boat and dredger.
Later on, being requested by Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Bera, Officer-in-charge of Bera thana directed SI Masum Billah to visit the trouble area who rushed to the spot calmed the agitated villagers by assuring them to take necessary action against the illegal sand excavators. The villagers, however, vowed to resist any sort of excavation of sand from the river further.