Tourists are returning to Sadapathar, the former charm of Dhalai has returned to some extent

Tourists have started coming back to the Sadapathar area of ​​Companiganj upazila in Sylhet. This tourist center, which was empty for a long time due to stone looting worth several hundred crores of taka, is now slowly returning to its previous form. Locals and nature lovers from different parts of the country have become interested in the news of the government operation and the recovery and replacement of the looted stones.

It has been seen on the ground that after a few days of silence after the looting, new life has returned to this place. Hundreds of tourists are taking boats to roam the clear waters of Dhalai, swimming and expressing joy and taking pictures. However, those who visited this place before say that the previous beauty is no longer there. The new tourists are very happy with the amount of stones that are still there.

On the orders of the High Court, the joint forces have carried out raids in various places in Sylhet and recovered at least 5.5 lakh cubic feet of looted stones. These have been replaced in Dhalai by the administration. In addition, it has been announced to launch a monitoring system through CCTV cameras in the Sadapathar area, which is a matter of comfort for tourists.

Expatriate tourist Mahidul Islam, who came to visit Sadapathar for the first time with his family, said, “I am happy to see this form of Sadapathar even after such a big looting. I cannot even imagine how beautiful it was before. We will come to see it again.”

On the other hand, Humayun Kabir Liton, convener of the Tour Operators Association of Sylhet (TOAS), said, “The damage done to Sadapathar cannot be repaired. There is a big difference between replacing stones by humans and restoring nature to its natural state. From this lesson, the concerned authorities must be more aware of the protection of all tourist centers in Sylhet.”

The revival of Sadapathar is seen as a ray of hope for tourists and locals. However, ensuring the protection of nature and the permanent security of tourist centers in the long term still remains a challenge.