Sand theft rampant in Tangail 

Allegations have surfaced that sand dredged from the New Dhaleshwari River in Beltia, Gohaliabari Union, Kalihati Upazila, Tangail, intended for auction by the Water Development Board (WDB), has been stolen and sold by local sand thieves, including the UP chairman.

In early July, the WDB dredged sand from the New Dhaleshwari River to improve navigability, depositing it at two sites on the river’s left bank in Beltia. The Upazila Dredging and Dredged Material Management Committee invited tenders on July 4 for one of these sand piles, with the sale scheduled to close on July 28 and tender openings on July 30.

However, after the tender announcement, local UP Chairman Md. A. Hai Akand, along with Humayun Kabir Suman, Azahar Ali, Wahab Ali, Abdus Sabur, and Abdul Latif, reportedly exploited their influence to steal sand from one pile using excavators and trucks. The stolen sand has been sold continuously, reportedly involving hundreds of trucks and generating millions of taka for the thieves. This theft has led to government revenue loss and confusion about the tender process.

Local sand traders noted that the auction price for the sand was Tk 2.5 per cubic foot, and if they had purchased it, they could have obtained nearly one crore cubic feet from the other pile for free, encouraging many to participate in the tender.

Anonymous locals revealed that fearing they might lose the tender, Chairman Md. A. Hai Akand and his associates stole and sold the sand, earning several lakhs of taka. Despite local WDB officials being aware of the issue, no action has been taken. Residents accuse Akand of using his position and collaborating with corrupt WDB officials, influential ruling party figures, and Upazila administration beneficiaries to conduct illegal sand trading.

Md. Mofidul Islam, the sub-assistant engineer for the New Dhaleshwari River at Tangail WDB, claimed ignorance of the issue until July 27, when he informed his superiors. Chairman Md. A. Hai Akand admitted owning two sand quarries in the area but denied selling the government’s piled sand, noting that tenders were called by the Upazila Dredging and Dredged Material Management Committee.

Tangail WDB’s Executive Engineer Sajjad Hossain emphasized that all dredged material is government property and should be auctioned. He added that while the WDB did not dredge this year, last year’s dredging, conducted by the Narayanganj department, was handed over to the Upazila committee for auctioning.