News Flash
DHAKA, Jan 14, 2026 (BSS) – Shipping Adviser Brigadier General (Retd) Dr M Sakhawat Hossain today directed the authorities to strengthen regular monitoring to protect the environment in the Ramgarh Land Port area of Khagrachhari and to take strict legal action against those involved in illegal hill cutting.
“Environmental destruction, illegal hill cutting or any irregularities in government projects would not be tolerated under any circumstances,” he said.
Sakhawat, also adviser to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, issued the directive while receiving the report of an investigation committee formed to look into allegations published in the daily Amar Desh under the headline “Hills cut and land filled for port construction for India,” at a meeting at the Ministry, said a press release.
After the report was published on January 7, 2026, alleging indiscriminate hill cutting and environmental destruction during land filling works at Ramgarh Land Port, the adviser treated the matter with priority and ordered the immediate formation of a three-member investigation committee.
The committee was tasked with verifying the authenticity of the allegations, uncovering the actual facts, assessing environmental and technical aspects, and recommending legal action if any irregularities or offences were found.
The committee conducted on-site inspections, reviewed project-related documents, interviewed local residents, examined engineering standards and held discussions with the concerned authorities before submitting its report.
According to the committee, the news report and photographs published in January 2026 are not directly related to the land filling activities of the Ramgarh Land Port project, considering the timeline of project implementation.
As part of technical verification, the committee also examined the quality of sand used in the project. While the contract stipulated a Fineness Modulus (FM) of 0.80, tests conducted at the Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) laboratory found the FM to be 1.62, while the on-site report mentioned it as 1.84.
In this regard, the committee recommended re-testing of samples at BUET or another recognised laboratory, if necessary, to obtain a more neutral and expert’s opinion.
During infrastructure inspection, the committee found minor defects in plastering in some parts of the port works due to inadequate curing. However, no major settlement or structural faults were detected. The committee observed that these minor defects could be easily rectified through simple repair works.
From an environmental perspective, the committee noted that in the past, several mobile courts were conducted by the district administration in Ramgarh following allegations of illegal hill cutting, resulting in fines against offenders. Based on statements from local residents, the committee confirmed that recent allegations of hill cutting are not linked to the Ramgarh Land Port project.
Reiterating the government’s firm stance, the shipping adviser said environmental destruction, illegal hill cutting or any irregularities in government projects would not be tolerated under any circumstances.
In line with the committee’s recommendations, he said necessary instructions would be issued to ensure tougher r regular monitoring for environmental protection, strict legal action against illegal activities and proper routine maintenance of the Ramgarh Land Port infrastructure.
