Stone looting: Political parties are busy blaming each other to avoid responsibility, what are the analysts’ opinions?

Political parties are blaming each other for the stone looting incident in Bholaganj, Sylhet, saying that even though they talk about limited stone extraction looking at the lives and livelihoods of thousands of people, they do not support the incident of stone looting. And analysts say that no political party, government and administration can avoid responsibility. The white stone of Bholaganj in Sylhet is a wonder for domestic and foreign tourists. After the stone looting, the attractive tourist center has lost its charm. Suddenly, who is behind this stone looting? When trying to find the answer to such a question, political involvement comes to the fore. Almost all political parties put forward various arguments in favor of stone mining, ignoring the cancellation of the lease of the Bholaganj quarry and the ban on stone mining. In September last year, the Islamic Movement’s senior Naib Amir Faizul Karim claimed that the ban on stone extraction was an Indian aggression and said that if the stone is not extracted quickly, there will be a flood. However, the party’s spokesperson Gazi Ataur Rahman said that the Islamic Movement is not involved in the looting incident, but the big parties involved in the incident. He said, Our point was to extract the stone while keeping everything in order so that the people’s lives are normal. We did not ask anyone to loot. In June this year, the Stone Owners-Workers Unity Council held a protest march and formed a human chain demanding the lifting of the ban on stone extraction. The Sylhet Metropolitan Jamaat, which participated in the rally, called the decision to stop stone extraction purposeful. However, after the incident, the party is highlighting its position on protecting the environment. The Sylhet Metropolitan Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Fakhrul Islam said that if the lease is given in such a way that the environment will not be damaged, the government will get revenue. At the same time, it will come within a discipline. In that context, many parties gave speeches there. We also gave speeches there. But in the current situation, there is no opportunity to think about it for now. Like other parties, the local BNP took a stand in favor of stone extraction. Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, a member of the party’s standing committee, says that while the party supports stone extraction on a limited scale considering the livelihood of thousands of workers, it does not support environmental destruction by looting. He also said that organizational measures have been taken against those involved. It is known that the leaders of the NCP and AB Party were also in favor of stone extraction. Sylhet Divisional Commissioner Khan Md. Reza-un-Nabi himself has also defended stone extraction. On July 8, he said, ‘If stone extraction can be done all over the country, why can’t it be done in Sylhet? People’s livelihoods are involved in it.’ Analysts see the government’s regret over not being able to protect the stone as a failure. They say that along with the political party, the administration cannot avoid the responsibility of looting. Dhaka University’s Political Science Department Professor Dr. Sabbir Ahmed said, Every political party is a beneficiary of the stone looting incident. Those who were involved in this mischief should be put under social boycott.