A transboundary river shared by India and Bangladesh, Jadukata is known for its natural beauty. Gushing out of the Khasi hills in the Indian state of Meghalaya, the river flows through Sunamganj’s Tahirpur upazila -- an area that largely caters to Bangladesh's increasing demand for construction sand and stones. But rampant illegal sand and stone mining poses a grave threat to the river's existence. Read Illegal sand mining goes on unabated in Kurigram Moreover, abundant lenience of authorities, residents allege, encourages the local mafia to steal the illegally mined sand and stones often seized by police. Neither the local administration nor the police pay attention to it. Local people too just do not bother to object to these illegal activities. Read Jamuna loses battle to illegal sand mining in Sirajganj "The unauthorised mining activities not only lead to revenue loss to the government but also cause damage to the environment. This has going on for years," a local resident told UNB. On March 24, a task force comprising officials from the local administration, police, BGB and RAB seized large quantities of illegally mined sand and stones from various local traders. Read Also: Sand lifting puts homesteads, farmland under erosion threat in N’ganj

Reckless and illegal sand extraction from the riverbed and banks in villages of Rajibpur Upazila of Kurigram district is causing untimely river erosion and threatening nearby homesteads. Some influential figures of the area are running a rampant sand mining business right under the noses of the administration, which shows no sign of taking any actions against them, locals complained. They said that the administration was not playing any role regarding Illegal sand mining in Kurigram as some influential people in the area are running the business.