A mobile court on Sunday conducted a drive against illegal brick kilns operating on agricultural land in Natore's Gurudaspur upazila and imposed fines totaling Tk 28 lakh.
The operation, conducted on Sunday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, targeted nine brick kilns violating environmental regulations.
The drive was led by Salma Akter, Gurudaspur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO). She stated that these brick kilns were established on farmland, disrupting agricultural production and causing environmental damage. The action was taken under the Brick Kiln Control Act. The kiln owners were instructed to relocate their operations from the agricultural land immediately. Additionally, they were provided guidance on exploring alternative business opportunities.
The brick kilns fined include SAR Bricks, MBP Bricks, AMB Bricks, AKB Bricks, MZB Bricks, HKB Bricks, HRB Bricks, HBB Bricks, and Molla Super Bricks, with penalties ranging from Tk 3 lakh to 4 lakh for each kiln.
The operation was carried out with the support of the Department of Environment officials, including Inspector Md. Borhan Uddin and Assistant Director Md. Rafiqul Islam, along with Army Captain Md. Arafat Rahman and Gurudaspur Police Station SI Md. Masud Rana.
The Upazila administration stated that similar actions would continue in the future to preserve the environment and safeguard agricultural productivity.
