Labourer Dies in Sand Collapse at Bholaganj Ropeway

A stone labourer has died following a sand collapse while excavating at the Bholaganj Ropeway bunker in Companyganj Upazila, Sylhet. The incident, which occurred on Monday, 13 April, was reportedly the result of hazards associated with the extraction of stones from the dilapidated infrastructure of the ropeway site.

Incident Overview and Victim Profile

The deceased has been identified as Fayzur Rahman, aged 28, a resident of Puran Meghargaon village under the Purbo Islampur Union of Companyganj Upazila. He was the son of Ahmad Ali.

According to local sources and police reports, Rahman frequently visited the Bholaganj Ropeway area with groups of other labourers to engage in stone extraction. On the afternoon of Monday, he accompanied several individuals to the site to dig pits for the collection of stones.

Sequence of Events

The operations were interrupted on Monday evening by a severe Kalbaishakhi (Nor’wester) storm, which forced the labourers to remain stationary and trapped them at the site for the duration of the weather event.

At approximately 8:00 PM, once the storm had subsided, the labourers resumed their activities within the excavation pits. During the extraction process, a large mass of sand collapsed from the walls of the pit, burying Fayzur Rahman.

His fellow labourers immediately attempted a rescue, eventually pulling him out from beneath the sand. He was initially transported to the nearby Dayar Bazar, where he received treatment from a village doctor (Pallichikitsak). As his clinical condition deteriorated, he was rushed to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital later that night. He succumbed to his injuries while undergoing medical care at the facility.

Official Response and Background

The Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Companyganj Police Station, Md. Shafiqul Islam Khan, confirmed the details of the incident. He stated that a case of unnatural death has been formally registered with the local authorities.

The Bholaganj Ropeway, once a vital piece of industrial infrastructure for transporting stones, has reportedly been pushed to the brink of ruin due to persistent and unregulated stone extraction. The practice of digging deep trenches near the bunker foundations significantly compromises the geological stability of the area, leading to frequent sand and soil collapses.

Incident Summary

Environmental and Structural Context

The Bholaganj Ropeway is a state-owned asset that has suffered extensive damage over several years. Labourers often resort to high-risk manual excavation methods, digging beneath the surface to find high-quality stones.

The instability of the sand layers in this region is exacerbated by weather conditions; the heavy rainfall and winds of a Kalbaishakhi storm typically loosen the soil, making immediate post-storm excavation particularly hazardous. Despite previous warnings regarding the structural integrity of the ropeway bunker, the site remains a frequent location for such industrial accidents.