The High Court yesterday ordered the government to stop sand extraction from the Sandhya river in Barishal to save the Birshreshtha Captain Mohiuddin Jahangir Smriti Museum and other structures from being devoured.

In response to a writ petition, the court stayed for three months a work order issued by the divisional commissioner permitting Md Zahidur Rahman, owner of M/S Satata Traders, to extract sand from the river in Babuganj upazila.

The DC had issued the work order on April 15.

The court also issued a rule asking the authorities to explain within four weeks why the work order should not be declared illegal. It also asked them to explain why they should not be ordered to stop the sand extraction.

Secretaries to the ministries of land, housing and public works, and forest and environment, Barishal divisional commissioner, deputy commissioners of Barishal and Dhaka, and five others were made the respondents, petitioner’s lawyer Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kazal told this paper.

Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader passed the order and the rule following a writ petition filed by Abdul Kader Mal, principal of a madrasa in Babuganj.

Abdul Kader filed the writ petition challenging the legality of the work order permitting Zahidur to extract sand from the River Sandhya. Different structures including the museum, his house, a local college, and a madrasa would be devoured if the sand extraction continued, he said in the petition.

Deputy Attorney General ABM Abdullah-Al-Mahmud represented the state in yesterday’s hearing.