Bagerhat: A mobile court demolished 11 illegal panja system brick kilns in Bagerhat Sadar Upazila on Thursday afternoon. The drive was led by Executive Magistrate Momtaz Begum from the Khulna Divisional Office of the Department of Environment (DoE), effectively halting the illegal wood-fuel-based operations in these kilns.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the operation was initiated by Asadur Rahman, Deputy Director of the DoE’s Bagerhat district office, with support from district police, Sadar Thana police, and Fire Service personnel. The mobile court team encountered resistance in the Baburhat Bazar area of Bishnupur Union, where some brick kiln workers and locals blocked the road in protest, requesting a postponement of the demolition until after Eid and asking for two weeks to shut down the kilns themselves.
Officials explained the legal repercussions and environmental damage associated with operating illegal kilns, leading to the workers clearing the road and cooperating with the authorities. Subsequently, the mobile court demolished the 11 illegal kilns using excavators.
Earlier in March, another mobile court drive in the Santgachia and Baburhat Bazar areas of the upazila resulted in the demolition of seven illegal brick kilns and the destruction of approximately 400,000 raw bricks. Deputy Director Asadur Rahman emphasized that such drives will persist to safeguard the environment.