Photo-collected.
Srimangal/Moulvibazar/Representative/

It is reported that about 3.5 crores of revenue has been evaded from various Balu Mahals in Srimangal of Moulvibazar. A local aware citizen has applied to the concerned department to stop illegal extraction of sand from these sand palaces.
Signed on 18 May 2023 AD, Bangladesh Awami League Srimangal Upazila Branch Vice President Md. Yushub Ali submitted this application to the Director General (Additional Secretary) of the Bureau of Mineral Resources Development (BMD).
The application of Yusuf Ali is precisely highlighted, I, the undersigned Md. Yushub Ali, as a conscious citizen of Bangladesh, inform you about the systematic evasion of government revenue from the Balu Mahal sector during the current economic crisis of Bangladesh, that 29 silica sand mines in Srimangal Upazila of Moulvibazar district. In 2016, following a writ petition filed by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) in the Hon’ble High Court, a stay was granted on the lease settlement. Later in 2018, the court was asked to approve the lease of the plot subject to the receipt of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Later, on January 25, 2021, from the office of the District Commissioner Moulvibazar, a tender was called for lease for 2 years from Baisakh month of 1428 Bengali year to 30th Chaitra of 1429 Bengali year.

In this, the lessees got lease settlement of 20 plots in Srimangal upazila. The lessees of those 20 plots have been extracting sand illegally for the past two years without depositing the remaining amount of revenue on the pretext of the complexity of collecting the environmental clearance ‘EIA’ by depositing only 25% of the security money. In just the last two years, including VAT, tax and lease value, the lessees from this sand palace have evaded government revenue of Tk 3 crore 47 lakh 4 thousand 562. If we calculate from last year 2016, the government has been deprived of revenue collection of about 10 crore rupees from this sector. But from these sand palaces till now the sand makers have not stopped extracting sand even for a single day. On April 17, 2023, only one lessee. And Mia submitted the ‘EIA’ and got settlement approval for two more years after the lease of Sumai Rham. But till now none of the remaining lessees feel the need to submit ‘EIA’ and they are extracting sand by evading government revenue. They are not paying any attention to the rules and regulations of environmental degradation. Currently, 1430 Bangla year is running but the lease period of the previous tender has expired in 1429 Bangla year, but it is not understandable why the authorities are not calling for a new lease tender?

In order to increase the government’s revenue in this regard, my opinion as a conscious citizen of the state is that a time limit should be fixed for the previous lessees to submit ‘EIA’ and if the lessees fail to submit the revenue due to the government along with the environmental clearance ‘EIA’ within this period, then the security I am applying for an order to confiscate the money and cancel the previous lease. Later if you invite fresh tenders more competitively. I believe that the lessees will participate in it. It is therefore requested that in the light of the above, you may agree to take any decision regarding the lease settlement of Balu Mahal in Srimangal to stop the evasion of government revenue.
Copies provided respectively by – Hon’ble Minister, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bangladesh Secretariat, Dhaka. 2. Hon’ble Minister, Ministry of Finance, Bangladesh Secretariat, Dhaka. 3. Hon’ble Chairman, National Board of Revenue, Segunbagicha, Dhaka. 4. Hon’ble Divisional Commissioner, Sylhet. 5. Hon’ble Deputy Commissioner, Moulvibazar. 6. Honorable Upazila Nirbahi Officer, Srimangal. 7. Hon’ble Assistant Commissioner (Lands), Srimangal. Also attached a copy of a national daily newspaper report.