May 30, 2025
DHAKA – Illegal hill cutting in the Thoingyapara area of Balaghata union in Bandarban Sadar upazila has been disrupting academic activities at Thoingyapara Government Primary School.
During a recent visit, this correspondent observed that soil from the hill on the eastern side of the school premises was being extracted with an excavator and transported by heavy trucks.
Locals alleged that the hill razing has placed the school at risk of damage from potential landslides during the monsoon, while the constant movement of trucks has severely damaged the school’s playground and the adjacent road, putting students in danger of accidents.
They further claimed the illegal activity is causing serious harm to the local environment and disrupting classroom activities.
“During class hours, the loud noise of the excavator distracts the students. The road and playground in front of the school have become unusable due to the daily movement of heavy trucks. We plan to report this to the relevant authorities,” said Chandan Kanti Debnath, headteacher of the school.
A local BNP leader named Nazim Uddin is allegedly operating the hill-cutting activities, deploying an excavator and five trucks over the past few days.
“Soil cutting from the hill has been going on from dawn till dusk for the past three days. The school, as well as our houses, are at risk of damage. The road has become deplorable due to truck movement, making it extremely risky for children to go to school,” said Mongkyapru Marma, a local.
Several other locals echoed his concerns.
“Around 50 truckloads of soil are transported daily,” said Saiful Islam Rimon, one of the truck drivers.
Contacted, Nazim Uddin, sub-contractor for the project, said the soil was being used to fill the site of a proposed new power sub-station near the Golden Temple area in Balaghata. “We have been working for the past three days,” he added.
Asked whether he had obtained permits from the administration or the Department of Environment, he left the scene without answering.
Masum Ameer, executive engineer of the Bangladesh Power Development Board in Bandarban, said the new sub-station will be connected to Dohazari in Chattogram. The project is being implemented directly by the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh, he added.
Md Fayzul Islam, an assistant engineer of BPDB responsible for the project, said the new sub-station will serve as the primary power distribution centre in Bandarban.
Asked whether administrative or environmental clearance had been obtained for hill cutting and soil use, Fayzul declined to comment, saying the project director would know about it, and disconnected the phone call.
Nur Uddin, inspector at the DoE in Bandarban, said no permission was granted for cutting the hill.
“Now that we’ve been informed, steps are being taken to respond swiftly. Legal action will be taken in cooperation with the upazila administration,” he said.
Bandarban Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Marufa Sultana Khan Hiramon said legal action will be taken against those responsible following an investigation into the matter.