The members of Bangladesh Army seized 40 tractors while they were transporting soil from cropland in Baksor area of Natore Sadar upazila on Wednesday.
According to army sources, based on information from local residents, a team from the army conducted a raid in Baksor at noon.
During the operation, they found that approximately 40 bighas of farmland had been cut, ponds had been dug, and soil had been removed, all while the land was being taken to a brick kiln.
However, the owner of the land was not present at that time.
The seized tractors were later handed over to the district police’s traffic department and stored at the police lines.
Mahbubur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Sadar police station, said that legal action would be taken under traffic laws.
He added that for some time, farmland in Natore has been illegally cut, and ponds have been dug with the alleged complicity of local authorities.
The soil is also being sold, with verbal permission reportedly given by district and upazila administration officials.
Abul Hayat, additional deputy commissioner of Natore, however, said that no such permission has been granted by the district administration for these activities.