Narayanganj: The Department of Environment (DoE) has shut down the operations of three illegal brick kilns in Sadar upazila and fined them Taka 15 lakh following a day-long raid.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the operation conducted on Sunday was led by Executive Magistrate and Senior Assistant Secretary of the Monitoring and Enforcement Wing of the DoE, Faizunnesa Akhter, with Md. Russell Mahmud, Assistant Director of the Narayanganj District Office of the DoE, serving as the prosecution during the raid.
The raid was supported by Narayanganj District Police, RAB-11, Fire Service, the Power Division (DPDC), and officials from the Narayanganj District Office of the Department of Environment. The targeted brick kilns included Abdullah Bricks Suppliers-2 in Nandalalpur, Pagla, Sadar Upazila, and M/s MSB Bricks and M/s SUA Bricks in the Dapa area of Shilkuri. Each kiln was fined Taka 5 lakh for operating illegally.
Under the Brick Manufacturing and Kiln Establishment (Control) Act, 2013 (amended 2019), the authorities took stringent measures by disconnecting the kilns’ electricity connections, removing meters, and using excavators to crush bricks and installations. The chimneys were also partially demolished to ensure they cease operations.
AHM Rased, Deputy Director of the Narayanganj District Office of the Department of Environment, emphasized that such drives against illegal brick kilns and other air-polluting factories would continue in the district to ensure compliance with environmental regulations.