Six valuable minerals – rutile, zircon, magnetite, garnet, ilmenite, and quartz – have been discovered in the sands of the ‘Char’ area of the Brahmaputra in Gaibandha, according to the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR).
“The market value of sand excavated to a depth of 10 meters from each square kilometer area for construction purposes ranges from Tk80 to Tk100 crore. In contrast, ilmenite, rutile, zircon, magnetite, garnet, and quartz collected from the same area are valued at Tk3,630 crores,” said Mohammad Nazim Zaman, Director at the Institute of Mining, Mineralogy, and Metallurgy of Joypurhat.
In 2010, the BCSIR initiated a study to explore minerals in the Brahmaputra area. Following its completion in 2012, the concerned department built a mineral resource research institute in Joypurhat under a project in 2017.
Mohammad Nazim Zaman said, "We first conducted a geophysical survey from the Kurigram entrance of Brahmaputra to Gaibandha downstream and in the Teesta river basin areas. Later, we collected 1,500 tonnes of sand from different sandbanks of these two districts. Following the processing stages, we obtained 2kg of ilmenite, 200 grams of rutile, 400 grams of zircon, 3.8 kg of magnetite, 12 kg of garnet, and 50 kg of quartz minerals from each tonne of sand."
Of the six minerals, garnet is the heaviest and most valuable mineral, which is used in the manufacture of corrugated paper, cleaning of ferrous pipes, as well as sandblasting. Currently, the mineral is exported worldwide by Australia and India.
Rutile is used in the production of medicines, welding rods, paints, plastics, and cosmetics. This precious mineral is available in Australia, India, Italy, Sri Lanka, Thailand, South Africa, Sierra Leone, and the USA.
Magnetite, which is exported worldwide by South Africa and Australia, is used in the production of magnets and steel, as well as cleaning coal extracted from mines and drilling deep wells in oil and gas exploration.
Zircon is used in the production of ceramics and tiles. This mineral is exported worldwide by Australia, South Africa, India, China, Brazil, Sierra Leone, and the USA.
Nazim Zaman said the Energy and Mineral Resources Division will take necessary steps regarding the extraction of these minerals very soon. He also added that work to identify more minerals in the sand of Kurigram and Gaibandha shoal areas is underway.
When contacted, Gaibandha Deputy Commissioner Kazi Nahid Rasul said, “These mineral resources are the wealth of Gaibandha and the country. All kinds of cooperation will be provided to the authorities concerned for the extraction of these minerals in Gaibandha. Besides, if any instructions come, they will be implemented quickly and accurately.”
The Brahmaputra River, which originates from the Mansarovar near the Kailash peak of the Himalayas, is known as Ganga in India. The river flows through Assam of India and enters Bangladesh through Kurigram under the name Brahmaputra. It is also called Brhmanputra in Gaibandha Sadar and Phulchari but takes the name Jamuna in Saghata.
This river overflows with water every year, eroding houses and banks. In the dry season, shoals arise in the riverbed. At this time, the sand excavated from its banks is used for the construction of roads and infrastructure at a low cost. This precious sand of the Brahmaputra is now going to turn into a piece of diamond.
