Stacks of jute sticks are seen being dried on open fields or beside the roads or on river banks after peeling off the skin—known as the golden fibre of Bangladesh. Before Bangladesh started exporting activated charcoal in 2012, the rural people widely used jute sticks to cook food and fence their walls mixed with mud. Children would play with small broken pieces while some would make crafts with the sticks.
In the last decade, with the rise in jute production, the country has seen increased demand for charcoal powder or activated carbon from many countries, including China, Mexico, the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Germany and Taiwan.
This ash is produced by burning dried jute sticks at a certain temperature in specially-made furnaces. Later, they are crushed to powder.
The powder is widely used by developed countries to make carbon paper, printer and photocopier ink, fireworks items, mobile phone batteries and cosmetics, to name a few.
Bangladesh has been exporting jute stick carbon since 2012. The country earned Tk14 crore million by exporting jute stick carbon to China during the fiscal year 2015-16. In 2019-20, Bangladesh exported 4,182 tons of powder and earned $2.9 million or Tk24.81 crore in foreign exchange.
Considering the prospect, many businessmen, including foreigners, have set up factories in Jamalpur, Narayanganj, Rajshahi, Pabna, Rajbari and Faridpur districts.
In Faridpur, initially, local farmers were overjoyed after getting a handsome price for the jute sticks, but many of the factories are operating without following rules, causing pollution and threatening public health. Some of them have no licences or necessary permission to run a business in a locality.
Experts say the smoke emitted from burning jute sticks can cause various physical problems, including respiratory complications. It increases the risk of heart disease. Constantly being in that area can reduce a person's stamina. This smoke also affects agricultural land; yield may be low, said Faridpur Civil Surgeon Md Siddikur Rahman.
The factories usually operate for five months after May when jute is harvested. Locals have complained to government offices in recent months, seeking remedies for the emission of black smoke.
Dhaka Tribune also contacted the Department of Environment (DoE) in Faridpur and the Civil Surgeon's office for information on the level of pollution, including the amount of dust particles, in the air.
Asked how some factories are operating illegally despite monitoring by different authorities, Faridpur DoE Assistant Director Mahfuzur Rahman said: “All the factories of the district have some irregularities. We have also informed the head office about them.
But a company which is earning foreign currency can't be stopped suddenly.
“We have sent a recommendation to Dhaka seeking necessary action regarding this sector. And, we have also sent the complaints of locals to Dhaka. No clearance certificates will be given to the factories until the complaints are settled.”
Densely populated neighbourhoods
In Faridpur, all the factories have been set up near localities, farmlands or water bodies, and they are posing a serious threat to public health due to excessive air pollution.
The Ginsing Trading Company Ltd set up its factory adjacent to the Dhaka-Khulna highway in Madukhali of Digholia Upazila in 2013. Around 5,000 people live close to the factory that uses 18 furnaces.
Around 200 families live next to Bangladesh Hungling Limited in Joykali area of Saltha Upazila. About 1,000 inhabitants live within half a kilometre while the entire village has a population of about 20,000 people.
Two factories—Golden Carbon Factory and the other is KH Carbon Factory—have been established in the Joynagar area of Satair Union in Boalmari Upazila where the number of houses is around 2,000.
Another carbon factory Impigna Private Ltd is located near the Madhumati River at Ruizani village under Maina Union of Boalmari. More than 100 families live there.
Why do the locals complain?
During a visit to the charcoal factory areas of the district, it was seen that most of the owners are not paying heed to environmental concerns. Locals demand that the factories be operated in line with the rules of environmental protection. If the rules are not followed, the government should take strict action, they said.
The Hungling factory spreads over a few acres of land near the Joykali market. Talking to some residents and traders at the market, it is known that throughout the dry season, the burning of jute sticks starts in the evening and the entire area is engulfed by the heavy smoke emitted from there.
The locals suffer due to the smoke spreading in the village and surrounding areas.
PR Roy Sentu, a rural doctor in Joykali Bazar, said that a lot of smoke is emitted from the factory in this area. “This smoke is causing breathing problems for the locals. There is so much smoke that it is difficult for people to leave the house. The smoke is very harmful to asthma and heart patients, children and elderly people.
Onion seed farmer Tafseer Musulli said: “Due to the smoke of this jute stick burning, our villagers have a lot of breathing problems. My mother is an operation patient. She now has a lot of breathing problems because of this smoke. I have only one daughter; she also gets shortness of breath due to this wash.”
He complained that the smoke is hampering the pollination of the onion flowers as the bees do not come.
Mahabub Alam Bulbul, a businessman in the area, said that all mills should protect the environment while producing ash. “If they had used the long narrow chimneys as per the government rules, we might have been saved a bit. If the factory continues like this for another 10 years, we will be destroyed.
“There is an invisible force, because of which they are conducting this activity disregarding the rules,” he said.
What do factory authorities say?
Alamgir Hossain, the manager of Bangladesh Hungling Limited, said that the factory, owned by a Chinese national, was set up nine years ago. These ashes are exported. Local jute farmers benefit from the sale of jute sticks.
“We manage this factory with the cooperation of local people,” he claimed. “Earlier, there was more smoke. Then we reduced the number of furnaces from six to four due to the demands of the locals.”
The manager told Dhaka Tribune that a blower in the chimney will be installed next year so that the smoke does not go down.
He also claimed that the factory has a permit from the DoE. But the authorities say their claim is not correct.
Faridpur DoE Assistant Director Mahfuzur Rahman said that after the start of the mill, they took the location clearance only. Later, the locals complained against them. “We have sent the complaint to the headquarters. After that, they did not apply to us for clearance,” he added.
