Separate mobile courts fined a total of 12 brick kilns Tk 18 lakh in two districts - Kurigram and Kushtia.
PHULBARI, KURIGRAM: A mobile court in Phulbari Upazila of the district on Wednesday imposed Tk six lakh fine on four brick kilns for violating the Brick Manufacturing and Kiln Establishment (Regulation) Act, 2013 (Amended 2019).
The operation was jointly conducted by Phulbari Upazila administration and the Department of Environment and led by Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and Executive Magistrate Rehnuma Taranum at around 11:30 am.
The mobile court fined KM Bricks Tk 50,000, WAHS Bricks Tk 1.50 lakh, and AB Bricks and MS HS Bricks Tk 2 lakh each. The operation was conducted in the presence of Rezaul Karim, assistant director of Kurigram District Department of Environment.
Phulbari UNO Rehnuma Taranum assured that such operations would continue as part of their ongoing efforts to protect the environment and control air pollution by cracking down on illegal brick kilns.
KUSHTIA: A joint operation by the district administration and District Department of Environment on Wednesday fined eight brick kilns Tk 12 lakh for operating without proper authorisation or compliance with environmental regulations.
The operation was conducted in Kushtia Sadar and Kumarkhali upazilas, led by Assistant Commissioner (AC) (Land) Rifatul Islam and Senior Chemist Habibul Basar from the Department of Environment.
The brick kilns fined in Kushtia Sadar included NSR Bricks (Tk 3 lakh), AFNR Bricks (Tk 2.5 lakh), Five Star (Tk 2 lakh), and HNR Bricks (Tk 2 lakh), all located in Laxmipur and Horinarayanpur areas. In Kumarkhali Upazila, four additional brick kilns faced fines amounting to Tk 2.5 lakh collectively.
Kumarkhali UNO SM Mikail Islam noted that the penalties were imposed under the Brick Manufacturing Act, considering the scale and impact of each kiln's operations.
Officials issued strict orders for all unauthorised activities at the brick kilns to cease immediately. AC Land Rifatul Islam warned that stricter legal actions would follow if the kilns resume operations in violation of the law.
