The interim government’s recent declaration of Savar as a “degraded air shed” marks a critical recognition that unchecked industrial activity is suffocating our communities. By ordering the closure of brick kilns without environmental clearance, the Department of Environment (DoE) has signaled that air quality is no longer a secondary concern. Yet, while this intervention may bring temporary relief from smoke and dust, the real question is: How do we ensure clean air without derailing economic growth?
Brick kilns are central to Bangladesh’s construction sector, with over 5,000 kilns producing 15 billion bricks annually -- worth about US$640 million, or roughly 1% of GDP -- and the industry is projected to grow nearly 6% per year over the next decade. Without them, the rapid expansion of housing, roads, and factories would stall. Yet the economic significance of kilns masks a serious environmental and health cost.
The second-highest concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in Dhaka are found near brick kilns, measuring 138% above the WHO Air Quality Guidelines -- equivalent to smoking 1.5 cigarettes per day. According to a World Bank report, air pollution in Bangladesh caused economic losses of 3.9-4.4% of GDP in 2019, contributing to approximately 78,145-88,229 premature deaths and 1-1.1 billion days of illness. Brick kilns are also the country’s largest stationary source of carbon dioxide, emitting 8.75 million tons of CO2 annually -- around 16% of total emissions from all sources.
Seen this way, the “cheap” bricks we use to build our cities are, in fact, an expensive liability. Respiratory diseases, cardiovascular problems, neurological illnesses, and reduced life expectancy translate directly into lost output. Children exposed to polluted air are less likely to perform well in school, reducing future human capital. For workers living near kilns, every breath carries a health risk that undercuts their ability to earn a livelihood. This is the hidden economy of dirty air -- short-term growth that silently erodes the very human capital our economy depends on.
The government has ordered the closure of thousands of illegal kilns before -- 3,491 were shut down in 2024 alone -- but many owners showed a lack of compliance. This cycle exposes a core weakness: Enforcement without alternatives cannot last. When livelihoods are at stake, compliance erodes. Shutting kilns is the easy part; sustaining clean air while safeguarding livelihoods is the real challenge.
Cleaner technologies exist and are already proven in our region. Tunnel kilns and Hybrid Hoffman kilns reduce coal consumption by 40-60% and cut particulate emissions by as much as 90%, compared to traditional fixed chimneys. India and Nepal have made significant progress in transitioning to zigzag and tunnel kilns, proving that such a change is possible even in low-income contexts of South Asia. Yet in Bangladesh, adoption has been slow, largely because small kiln owners cannot afford the upfront costs of upgrading or rebuilding.
If we want kiln owners to adopt cleaner technologies, we cannot simply impose bans on polluting kilns and expect compliance. We need to create financial incentives that make green kilns competitive. Green credit lines, low-interest loans, and targeted subsidies could help kiln operators transition without collapsing under debt. International climate finance and carbon markets could be tapped to co-finance upgrades, given that cleaner kilns reduce greenhouse gas emissions alongside local pollutants. Such financial models have already been pilot tested by the Asian Development Bank in the region; scaling them up in Bangladesh would bring both economic and environmental dividends.
Monitoring and accountability are equally crucial. The Department of Environment’s Continuous Air Monitoring Stations (CAMS) provide accurate readings, but access to this data remains limited. Making it publicly available in real time would empower researchers, policy-makers, as well as citizens to track progress and hold industries accountable. Enforcement cannot rely on occasional crackdowns; it must be sustained through transparency and community involvement.
Finally, there is also a social dimension to consider. Kiln closures displace thousands of workers, many of whom migrate from rural areas seasonally for employment. Without retraining and alternative livelihood opportunities, enforcement will push vulnerable families deeper into poverty. Transition strategies must include vocational training for affected workers, alongside investment in recycling construction materials and promoting eco-friendly alternatives such as compressed concrete blocks. These measures would reduce dependence on traditional bricks while creating new jobs in green industries.
Declaring Savar a degraded air shed is an important step, but it should not be seen as an end in itself. It is a warning flare: A sign that the way we currently balance growth and environment is unsustainable. Sporadic shutdowns may buy temporary relief, but unless paired with a roadmap for technological transition, financing, and social protection, they risk becoming yet another cycle of policy without permanence.
Shutting down kilns may clear the skies temporarily, but without a just and sustainable transition, pollution will simply return in new forms. If we continue to treat clean air and industrial activity as opposing forces, we will lose both. Bangladesh has a choice: Treat clean air as a constraint on growth, or embrace it as the foundation for a healthier, more competitive economy. The latter path is harder, but it is the only way the economy -- and the people who sustain it -- will truly be able to breathe.
Hurmetun Nesa Labiba is a Research Associate at the Bangladesh Institute of Governance and Management (BIGM).
