?Iftekhar Alam Bishal, Rajshahi district correspondence : ?The long-awaited handover of the high-value Charshyampur and Diarkhidirpur Sand Quarry (Balumahal) in Rajshahi was finally completed on Tuesday (September 30), a delay of five months and sixteen days after the lease was initially awarded. The process was finalized following the settlement of all legal disputes in the High Court and Supreme Court, and after the floodwaters of the Padma River receded.

?The quarry was formally handed over to the lessee, M/s Saif Traders, by Poba Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Zaid Hasan on Tuesday afternoon.
?Highest Bidder Faced Legal Hurdles
?M/s Saif Traders secured the highest bid for the quarry for the Bengali year 1432 Bangabda (which corresponds roughly to the 2025 calendar year), offering a substantial BDT 15,15,70,500. The lease was awarded following the tender notification (Memo No. 31.43.8100.015.07.091.25.400(35)) dated March 2, 2025.
?However, soon after obtaining the lease, all activities related to sand extraction at Charshyampur and Diarkhidirpur were suspended for five months and sixteen days due to interim orders issued by the High Court under Writ Petitions No. 1494/25 and 4787/25, compounded by the natural flooding and rise in the water level of the Padma River.
?Allegations of Political Occupation
?The handover has been framed by some as the liberation of the sand quarry from "Awami associates" (Awami Doshord). Allegations were leveled that prominent local Awami League leaders, including Rajab, Anwar, Bentu, and Mukul, had been illegally occupying and exploiting the quarry, systematically evading government revenue since 2009.
?Ramzan Ali, a partner of the Charshyampur and Diarkhidirpur Sand Quarry, confirmed the chronology, stating that they dropped their bid schedule on March 18 and were declared the highest bidder. He noted that the High Court’s stay order halted the operations immediately after. Ali also claimed that the quarry was finally "freed from fugitive Awami associates" after August 5.
?Lessee Demands Compensation
?Shahinur Rahman, the Proprietor of M/s Saif Traders, stated that his company paid the full 12-month lease value for 1432 Bangabda to the government. Yet, due to the Supreme Court cases and the Padma River floods, they were unable to extract sand for 5 months and 16 days.
?Rahman expressed concern, stating, “Due to this, my company will not be able to earn even half of the 1432 Bangabda lease value from the quarry.” He, along with his business partners, sought the cooperation of the District Administration and all sectors of society to secure compensation for this financial loss.
?Official Stance on Compliance
?Poba Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Zaid Hasan confirmed the handover, stating, "We hand over this sand quarry to the lessees every year. We expect him to extract sand properly according to government rules."

?Hasan added that a Land Assistant Officer and the Officer-in-Charge of Katakhali Police Station were present during the handover. He confirmed that M/s Saif Traders would be allowed to extract sand from the Charshyampur and Diarkhidirpur mouzas until the Chaitra month of 1432-1433 Bangabda, subject to the fulfillment of all necessary conditions.
?Local dignitaries and journalists from local and national online, print, and electronic media outlets were present when the sand quarry was handed over.