The popular tourist spot “Sadapathor” in Sylhet’s Companiganj has once again started drawing crowds of visitors; however, broken and cut stones remain a safety concern for tourists.

Mehedi Hasan from Dhaka, who visited Sadapathor after several years, expressed his disappointment.

I came here three years ago. The beauty is no longer the same—everywhere I see broken and cut stones. An accident may happen if someone is careless while walking. I think these should be removed,” he said.

On the other hand, Tamal Sheikh, a first-time visitor from Mymensingh, had a different experience.

It’s a very beautiful place. I had fun in the water. I’d love to come back again,” he said.

Following the change in government, large-scale looting took place at Sadapathor on August 5. Later, during administrative drives, a huge quantity of stones was recovered and reinstated in the Dhalai River. While this helped increase tourist flow, locals believe broken stones still pose risks.

Hazardous walkways

Tourists must carefully walk over sandy beds and stones to reach the main spot from the boat terminal. With the water level receding, more broken stones have become exposed.

Photographer Anwar Hossain Sumon said, “The broken stones are very risky for tourists. I would urge the administration to remove them as soon as possible.”

Sylhet Deputy Commissioner (DC) Md Sarwar Alam said, “Half of the broken stones had been reinstated. The rest will be removed manually once the water level rises.”

More tourists, but slow sales

The boat terminal saw a larger crowd compared to previous months, while restaurants, shops, and photographers reported higher activity.

However, business owners said sales did not match the rise in tourist numbers. Shopkeeper Lilu Mia said, “Sales have increased slightly, but not like before.”

Boatman Jasim Mia said, “More than 160 boat trips were made last Friday and Saturday. The number of tourists is rising, but it will take time to return to the old state.”

Locals blame authorities

Locals alleged that unscrupulous traders bought stones and quickly smashed them, creating today’s situation. They claimed that if timely action had been taken, so many broken stones would not have remained.

Companiganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mohammad Robin Mia said, “The administration recovered 3 million cubic feet of stones. Of them, 1.6 million cubic feet have already been reinstated, while the rest will also be replaced.”

Masterplan for six tourist spots

The government has undertaken a masterplan to develop six tourist destinations in Sylhet, including Sadapathor, Jaflong, Bichanakandi, and Utmachhara. A committee led by Additional Secretary of the Water Resources Ministry Bazlur Rashid recently visited these areas.

The main objective of the masterplan is to ensure modern facilities while maintaining environmental balance,” said Bazlur Rashid.

DC Sarwar Alam added, “The plan will be implemented to establish Sylhet on the international tourism map.”