The High Court on Sunday directed the government to stop sand mining from the river Padma at Charghat, Rajshahi immediately to protect its ecology from further damage. A bench of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar also asked the government to submit a compliance report to the court. The bench also issued a rule on the government to explain in eight weeks why sand mining from the river should not be declared illegal. The bench passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association on April 24. The petition said that the Rajshahi Cadet College, roads and other structures in Charghat area were threatened by illegal sand mining by locals sand traders from the Padma River.