The hills of Lama upazila in Bandarban are being cut for their topsoil, threatening the environment and production yield of agricultural land.
The soil is later used to establish brick kilns, railways, houses; and fill water bodies.
According to local sources, in the last month, the topsoil of almost 150 acres of hilly land was removed from Fakirakhola area of Lama, causing serious environmental risks and negatively impacting agricultural production.
The movement of the soil-filled heavy trucks and trolleys has made the hilly roads nearly unusable. Several soil traders have bought the land at a low price, and are removing the topsoil as it is in high demand.
Aside from Fakirakhola, the land of the Sarai, Aziznagar, and Faitang unions is also being used for its topsoil.
Despite the scarcity of agricultural land in hilly Lama, excavators have been used to remove the topsoil during the last month. Most of the time, 4-5ft of the topsoil is removed, which is also affecting the nearby owners' lands.
Wishing to remain anonymous, a few locals said Abdus Sukkur, Abdullah Prakash alias Kala Shona, Rezaul Karim Manik, Saker Ullah, and several others from Fakirakhola are involved in this unethical soil trade.
The soil is then transferred to Dulhajara union under Chawkaria upazila in Cox's Bazar, and sold to a syndicate under union parishad Chairman Nurul Amin. The soil is later used for the construction of railways and brick kilns; and for filling ponds and rivers.
Fashiakhali union parishad Chairman Md Zaker Hossain said: "Hundreds of acres of land have become unusable for agricultural purposes due to the unplanned soil extraction."
The traders use various excuses—like saying the topsoil is infected with a "virus"—to convince the farmers to remove the topsoil of their land.
Upazila Agricultural Expansion Officer Sanjida Binte Salam said: "The upper part of the hills contain organic and nutritious elements. The farmers are unaware of the risks they pose to the environment by allowing the topsoil to be removed."
She added: "It might take 15-20 years for the topsoil to accumulate again."
Adding to this, Dulhajara Chairman Nurul Amin said: "I bought the topsoil from Dil Mohammad, who bought it from landowners Saker Ullah, Rezaul Karim Manik, and Abdus Sukkur."
Although the topsoil is used in the 40 brick kilns now active in Lama, the district administration is yet to take any steps to stop soil removal.
Lama Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Nur-e-Jannat said: "We gave a verbal notice to those removing the topsoil in Fashiakhali upazila. Additionally, we also informed the deputy commissioner and the army about the matter."