Photo : Collected

SYLHET, Aug 26, 2025 (BSS) - Sensing that their livelihoods will face dire situation for lack of tourists if the white stones are disappeared from Sada Pathor of Bholaganj, local people and traders are firmly committed to protecting the popular tourist spot from stone looters.

"There are about 360 small traders in Sada Pathor area. Our families depend on tourism. If tourists do not come, our livelihoods will fall in peril," Javed Ahmed Mirza, vice president of Bholaganj Sada Pathor Small Traders Cooperatives Society, told BSS.

He said when miscreants looted stones from Sada Pathor, they tried to resist the looters.

"The stone looters were organised and they looted stones during night time," Mirza said. 

"Now we are committed more to protecting the tourist spot. We seek more cooperation from the administration," he added.

Photographer Amir Hamza, whose livelihood depends on tourists, said if the small traders and photographers did not come forward to resisting the stone looters, whole stones would be disappeared from Sada Pathor.

"Of course, we must protect our workplace, otherwise, we will lose our livelihood," he said.

Habibur Rahman, another photographer, said there are over 100 photographers in Sada Pathor tourist spot.

Nothing that Sada Pathor is the proud of Sylhet, he observed that after looting stones, fewer tourists are coming to the spot.

Boatsman Ruhel said on average, now some 200 boats carrying tourists run to Sada Pathor per day.

But, he said, the number of tourists significantly increases during weekend. 

Earlier, in the morning, a five-member committee of Cabinet Division, formed to probe the stone looting, visited Bholaganj Sada Pathor tourist spot under Companiganj.

The committee, led by Secretary (Coordination and Reforms) Zaheda Parveen visited the Sada Pathor area. 

During this time, they talked to local traders, locals and people concerned.

After the visit, while talking to reporters, Zaheda Parveen declined to make any comment as the stone looting issue was under investigation.

They earlier also visited the railway bunker area. The Additional Divisional Commissioner of Sylhet and officials of the district and divisional administration were present on the occasion.

The probe body was formed on August 20, involving Zaheda Parveen, as well as additional secretaries of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Ministry of Forest and Environment, Ministry of Public Administration and Public Safety Department. 

The committee was asked to submit its probe report within 10 working days.

According to the district administration, out of the 25 lakh cubic feet of stone looted so far, 600,000 cubic feet of stone have been recovered and replaced on the spot.

Another 700,000 cubic feet of stone have been kept ready at Ghat No 10 in Bholaganj. Those will be replaced at Sada Pathor tourist spot in the next phase.

Widespread stone looting took place in recent months in Sada Pathor of Bholaganj.

Bholaganj Sada Pathor, located in the Companiganj Upazila and near East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya, India, is famous for beautiful stones, crystal clear water and green mountains. 

In this "heaven of white stones," visitors can enjoy swimming, floating or simply soaking their feet in beautiful cool water. 

Asaduzzaman, a tourist who came to Sada Pathor from Naraingdi, said he got frustrated after seeing the ruined Sada Pathor as white stones were looted from the spot.

In the afternoon, Sylhet Deputy Commissioner Md Sarwar Alam and Police Super Muhammad Mahbubur Rahman also visited the Sada Pathor area as the district administration's deadline to return stolen stones by looters ended this evening.