Shipping Ministry Probes Illegal Hill Cutting at Ramgarh Land Port

A high-level committee formed by the Ministry of Shipping visited Ramgarh on Saturday to investigate allegations of illegal hill cutting and soil filling for the development of the Ramgarh Land Port.

The six-member probe team, led by Joint Secretary (Real Estate) Md. Firoz Ahmed, inspected several sites where hills were reportedly leveled to collect soil for the port’s construction.

The committee was established on January 8 following a media report regarding the environmental impact of the project.

During the visit, the team toured various areas, including Baidyatila, where they spoke with local residents and documented evidence of hill cutting. The investigators collected soil samples from both the affected hills and the port’s filling sites to verify if the materials matched.

The committee also inspected the quality of the ongoing construction work at the land port. The probe team has been tasked with submitting a formal report within three working days.

Key officials present during the inspection included Committee Member Secretary Rasna Sharmin Mithi, Ramgarh Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) Kazi Shamim, representatives from the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and officials from the contracting firm, Monico Ltd.