The practice remains temporarily suspended after drives by the upazila administration but resumes within a few days, sources say. Extraction of the ‘Raw Gold’, as the sand lifters call it, does not cost much but fetches a huge amount of money. Locals alleged that the sand lifters are working in collusion with some corrupt local administration officials. A number of the area’s residents said they have informed the upazila administration repeatedly but no concrete step had been taken. Additional Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Tofazzal Hossain said they would not allow illegal sand lifting from the Jamuna River and their drive against the practice would continue.

Source: Dhaka Tribune December 12, 2020 06:11 UTC