Reopening of sand, stone quarries in Sylhet region demanded

SYLHET, Nov 01: Resumption of activities at the stone and sand quarries in Sylhet region was demanded at a view exchange meeting held at a hotel in the divisional city on Saturday evening.

Resuming activities on the quarries would help save the crisis-hit livelihood of the hundreds of laboureres, traders and other people of the sector concerned, the meeting was told.

Brihattar Sylhet Pathor Sangslishto Baybosayi Sramik Oikya Parishad organised the event with the president of Companiganj Pathor Baybosayi Samity Abdul Jalil in the chair.

Sylhet divisional Truck, Covered Van Malik Oikya Parishad President Golam Hadi Saiful, Sylhet zila Truck, Pick Up Sramik Union President Abu Sarker and general secretary Amir Uddin also addressed. Among the local leading people Haji Nasir Uddin, Shaokat Ali, Haji Rafiqul Islam, Syed Saleh Ahmed Shahnewaj, Kamal Hossain, Abul Hossain. Faurque Ahmed and Shabbir Ahmed also addressed.

The speakers said thousands of poor people, including labourers, helpers and traders had been in severe crisis due to the suspension of stone and sand extraction from the natural quarries in the division for months together.

Besides, a good number of transport workers had been engaged in the jobs. Some influential and interested quarters had been gaining illegally through misguiding the local administration and the government for shutting the quarries for indefinite period, they alleged. The poor people in the quarries in Jaintapur, Gowainghat, Companiganj, Kanaighat, Chhatak and other upazilas had been suffering extremely due to joblessness.