Violating a High Court  order illegal sand lifting with dredgers from the Meghna River at Lapang, Mohinipur, Mizarchar launch terminal, Saudagarkandi and  Chanpur  in Raipur upazila of the district has been going on unabated.
Local people said a section of unscrupulous people has been doing this callous act for a long time. One Ahsan Ulla, owner of Salma Enterprise, is lifting the sand with the help of local Awami League leaders flouting the court order, they allege.
The sand lifting is posing serious threat to schools, crops lands, houses, local bazars, graveyard of seven villages in Chanpur and Mirzarchar unions.  The river erosion, triggered by reckless quarrying of sand, is posing threat to Chanpur Government Primary School, Sawdagarkandi Bazar, Saudarkandi graveyard, 100 houses of Kailapur, Mirzarchar, and a vast tract of crop land.
On August 3 this year, Shah Alam Khandaker, of  Raipura upazila, filed a case with High Court Division against Raipura UNO and owner of Salma Enterprise and the court directed them to stop the illegal sand lifting and selling sand at different points on the Meghna River.
 After hearing the petition of plaintiff, Bangladesh Supreme Court High Court Division bench Justice Naima Haque and Justice Mostafa Zaman granted the  petition and ordered Raipura UNO to stop the illegal sand lifting and selling from the Meghna on August 3.
 Some journalists of Narsingdi recently visited Lamang, Mohinipur, Chanpur, and Saydagarkandi and found found that Ahsan Ulla with the help of ruling AL men were lifting sand  from Meghna river using three dredgers.