Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) has served legal notices to the authorities concerned seeking an immediate action to stop sand extraction from the Kalidas Pahalia River in Sonagazi upazila of Feni district.

On Tuesday, Supreme Court lawyer S. Hasanul Banna representating the BELA sent the notice to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, Secretary of the Ministry of Land, Feni Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police, and the Upazila Nirbahi Officers of Sadar and Sonagazi, and five others.

The notice said Kalidas Pahalia as one of the main rivers of the district, and sand is being commercially extracted from beneath the Nawabpur Bridge in the Sonagazi section under the pretext of erosion control, according to the notice referring to media reports.

The notice further claimed that politically influential contractors, after receiving dredging approval, are extracting sand indiscriminately from public and private lands beyond the riverbanks.

The sand is being sold and also used to fill low-lying lands and ponds while portions of the river are allegedly being encroached for fish farms.

Unregulated use of prohibited dredgers has put the Nawabpur Bridge, nearby roads, houses, and the important Khaja Ahmad Bridge at risk.

Several homes in Pal village of Chonua Union under Feni Sadar have already been submerged while the area’s other structures, including religious ones, also face similar threats.

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Locals allege that government efforts to prevent erosion and restore river navigability, including altering the river’s course, have largely failed. Severe erosion has left affected families homeless and struggling for survival.

In the notice, BELA demanded immediate supervision and monitoring of sand extraction along the river in Feni Sadar and Sonagazi upazilas, strict action under the law against those involved in illegal dredging, and assessment of environmental and infrastructural damage to ensure compensation from the responsible parties.

District administration sources said that no official lease for sand extraction exists anywhere in the district, including Kalidas Pahalia, and regular operations have been underway to prevent unauthorised extraction.