Sylhet, March 10 -- A mobile court sentenced a man to six months in jail and fined him Tk 5 lakh for illegally filling a canal and obstructing water flow in Sylhet on Monday.

The court, led by Sylhet Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Khoshnur Rubaiyat, handed down the sentence to Abdul Hannan.

Hannan had used soil from farmland to fill the canal, damaging crop fertility and affecting local drainage. He had no legal ownership or permit and also removed boundary pillars of neighbouring land. The court ordered an additional three-month jail if the fine is not paid.

Two dredgers were seized during the operation, one assigned to Sylhet City Corporation and the other to Sylhet Sadar Upazila Parishad.

UNO said about 200 acres of Boro paddy...