S A Shofiee, Sylhet :
As per an order passed by the Ministry of Power, Fuel and Mineral resources on 1st September, 2016 last stone collection activities have been suspended in the greatest quarry of Bholagonj in Frontier Companigonj Upazila and Bichenakandi quarry in Gowainghat and Sreepur (Jafloong) quarry at Zaintia Upazila for the last three weeks.
As bomb-machines are needed in lifting stones which are detrimental to environment, harnessing stones using the bomb-machines method needs to be forbidden, stone collection by manual or indigenous method is not harmful to environment, rather this method is economical and currency-earning activities that can help solve unemployment problem in three frontier Upazilas in Sylhet. Mechanically lifting stones, together with using bomb machines have been disbanded by Sylhet District Administration resulting in at least 50,000 labourers of all the three quarries in Sylhet unemployed. So a wailing situation has been prevailing at the quarries and their surrounding areas in three frontier Upazilas.
According to the locals and people’s representatives, once the stone-acquiring after diving into water, the quarry area wood have been busy from dawn-to-dusk. With the administrative embargo these activities which are economic and GDP-based ones, have come to a stand-still. Similar fate hah humiliated the labourers of Sreepur, Jaintia where at least 10,000 Stone-collecting labourers have become jobless, resulting in humiliation and untold sufferings to their family members who pass their days unfed or half-fed.
When contacted, Mr. Zainal Abedin, Deputy Commissioner Sylhet, told local newsmen that indigenous or traditional stone-collection has not been forbidden. But the situation is that all sorts of stone collection have been disbanded, resulting in at least 1,00,000 labourers amongst whom most are lone earning member of the family have been thrown into bay. Stones worth crores of Taka are now apprehended to be unsold resulting in stone crises all over the country where Sylhet stones have a great demand both in road and high rise building construction.
With the halting of stone collection, many stone-crusher mill owners sacked labourers and have kept their stone-crusher mills under lock and key centering the biggest Bholagonj, Jafloong and Sreepur quarries in Sylhet District. So, higgling and bargaining between stone-collectors and stone-buyers which had been daylong phenomenon in those Bhulagonj, Jafloong and Sreepur quarries have come to a stand still after the Govt. order. The Upazila administrations of Companigonj, Gowainghat and Zaintiapur misinterpreted the concerned ministry’s 1st September order and forced all the labourers refrain from stone-collection which is the heart of mineral resources economy. In late 80’s the then World Bank Vice President Dr. Wolfenson, while visiting Jafloong quarry called the stone-collection as one of the firm footing of GDP growth of Bangladesh economy.
While visiting the Jafloong quarry area, the labourers complained that they have been passing their days with half-fed or starving. Thousands of stone carrying boats and the labourers, tucks and their drivers, lorries and drivers and helpers who have been engaged in quarry centered activities have been left out of job. The labourers life-style is going to halted together with the economy which will also be crippled for stone-shortage that may occur. As a result, price hike of stones may hamper all roads and high rise and multistoreyed building construction in the country.
Moreover, Government which has been getting royalty from these stone quarries for stone-collection, crushing and selling and distribution may face an undesired stalemate, crippling a major revenue set back from Sylhet District. The country as a whole will suffer not only from depriving of huge revenue income but also suffer from unemployment problems owing to continuous suspension of stone collection. The sooner the embargo lifted, the better the economy developed side by side mitigation of unemployment problem in the country.
