Dhaka, Aug. 14 -- Arbitrary railway construction deals with India and policy shift by the Bangladesh Water Development Board left mountains of mined stones unsold at the state-owned Maddhapara Granite Mining Company Limited (MGMCL), which has the capacity to meet a maximum of 8 per cent of the country's annual power demand, the mine authorities said.

The unsold mountains of stone attracted media attention after stone theft in picturesque Sada Pathor of Sylhet stripped stretches of the Dhalai River of its magnificent white stones, carried along by the onrush of water from the great hills of Meghalaya, particularly during monsoons, leaving behind pits and holes.

Though the stone theft in Sylhet has been going on for years, the crime surge...