Jessore district has been inundated with illegal brick kilns.
Out of the 144 brick kilns in the district, 114 have been deemed unauthorized by the Department of Environment.
This issue has even been raised in inter-ministerial meetings.
Recently, the department has announced plans to take action against these illegal kilns.
According to the department, these kilns are operating without adhering to environmental laws or obtaining licenses from the Deputy Commissioner (DC).
In fact, none of the kilns in the district fully comply with all the regulation.
Most of them are running without environmental clearance.
Currently, only 30 kilns using the zigzag method are somewhat lawful.
Md Emdadul Haque, Deputy Director of the Department of Environment in Jessore, reported that 18 brick kilns were raided last month.
He has warned that the department will soon begin demolishing the illegal kilns.
The Brick Manufacturing and Kiln Establishment (Control) Act of 2013 mandated licenses for brick kilns and outlined requirements for their location, distance, and number in designated areas.
In 2019, further amendments were made, stipulating that operating a brick kiln without a license could result in two years of imprisonment and a fine of 2 million Bangladeshi Taka.
Section 4 of the amended act states that regardless of any existing laws, no one can produce bricks without obtaining a license from the Deputy Commissioner of the district where the kiln is located.
However, in Jessore, these laws have been consistently violated, not only since 2013 but also after the 2019 amendments.
Under environmental laws, brick kilns must be established at least one kilometre away from residential areas, forests, wetlands, agricultural land, special structures, educational institutions, hospitals, clinics, or research facilities.
Additionally, kilns must use the zigzag method, as the traditional 120-foot chimney kilns are no longer legal.
Despite these regulations, most kilns in Jessore have been flouting these rules.
Although some have obtained clearance in the past, the regulations prohibit granting permits for kilns within restricted areas after the law came into effect.
Nevertheless, many managed to acquire clearance through questionable means.
There are kilns in the district located just 20 yards from residential houses and 100 yards from densely populated villages, violating every condition.
Several kilns have been built unlawfully on agricultural land, damaging paddy fields and residential areas.
These have been constructed near schools, cemeteries, mosques, and sensitive establishments, blatantly disregarding environmental laws.
According to the Department of Environment, there are 110 kilns in the district located within one kilometre of educational institutions.
Even though some of these use the zigzag method, they do not comply with environmental laws, landing them on the list of unauthorized kilns.
Several years ago, the Jessore office of the Department of Environment sent a report to the Dhaka headquarters recommending action against 33 such kilns.
However, most of them continue to operate without interruption.
Sources claim that the majority of these kilns are operating without licenses or environmental clearance and are causing damage to agricultural land, schools, and residential areas.
The Department of Environment has recently started monitoring the 114 illegal kilns.
On December 27 and January 8, the department conducted raids on 18 of these unauthorized kilns.
The Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change has decided to demolish these kilns if they violate environmental laws.
Moreover, the department will re-evaluate the 30 supposedly legal kilns in the district.
Emdadul Haque stated: “We are taking action against all irregularities and inconsistencies related to brick kilns. Regardless of lobbying, illegal kilns are being demolished in the public interest to preserve the environment. Partial demolitions and fines are being imposed through mobile courts.”
He emphasized that no irregularities regarding environmental issues in Jessore will be tolerated.
He added: “Whatever happened in the past is irrelevant; from now on, all kilns must operate according to the regulations. Any violation of environmental laws will be dealt with accordingly.”
