Brick kiln owners and workers lifted their blockade on the Dhaka-Aricha highway in Savar on Tuesday after about two hours, following assurances that their demands would be addressed.
The highway was cleared shortly before 12pm.
Confirming the development, Savar Model police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Jewel Mia said: “The highway is now clear. We are in talks with the protesters. Officials from the Department of Environment will also meet them.”
The protest began at around 10am under the banner of the Savar upazila branch of the Bangladesh Brick Manufacturers’ Association. The demonstrators blocked the highway to protest the ongoing campaign by the district-upazila administration and the Department of Environment against illegal brick kilns and demanded that the kilns be allowed to continue operations.
Traffic on both lanes was halted during the blockade, causing severe congestion and hardship for commuters.
Brick kiln owners said they need time to operate their kilns until 2026.
We have already paid our labourers and collected soil. If the government stops us after 2026, we will cease operations, they said.
They added that last year’s court directive allowed legal kilns to continue.
If Savar had been declared a degraded airshed last year, we would not have invested this year. We do not want to pollute Dhaka’s environment, but we need time for this season. We also have a court verdict in our favour, which is not being respected, the owners said.
