Four people were arrested along with a dredger while allegedly extracting sand illegally from the Meghna River in Lalmohan, Bhola. Later, a mobile court fined them a total of Tk 50,000.

The Coast Guard Outpost Lalmohan conducted the operation based on a tip-off on Sunday (August 16) from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm in the Meghna River area near the new sluice gate adjacent to Dhaligour Nagar under Lalmohan Police Station.

During the operation, Coast Guard personnel detained four people along with a dredger while they were allegedly extracting sand illegally from the river.

Later, a mobile court was formed under the leadership of the Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate of Lalmohan. The court fined the four individuals a total of Tk 50,000. The fine was deposited into the government treasury.

The detainees were subsequently released along with the dredger after signing undertakings.

The Coast Guard said such operations will continue in the future to protect croplands and homesteads of riverside communities from illegal sand extraction.

The arrested individuals were identified as Rajib, son of Md Rustam Ali of Pirojpur; Abdul Khaleque, son of Nur Mohammad Jamadar of Dularhat; Md Akbar, son of Md Moklesur Rahman of Dhaligar Nagar, Lalmohan; and Md Raju, son of the late Abdur Raf Munshi of Wazirpur, Barishal.