Peak time for brick kilns
Workers at different brick kilns in the district are passing busy time making bricks after a delay of two weeks due to bad weather.
“We came here around one month back and started producing bricks two weeks ago after preparing the fields,” said Masum Billah, a worker of a brick kiln at Chandipur village under Zianagar upazila.
Most workers of brick kilns are from Jessore and Satkhira, and they stay at different brick kilns during brick producing season, he added.
Saiful Islam, another worker, said they worked on contract basis.
Workers said they get Tk 160 for making 1,000 raw bricks, and a worker can make around 4,000 bricks a day.
Hafizur Rahman, leader of the workers of a brick kiln, said five to nine lakh bricks are produced at a time in a brick kiln, depending on its size.
“A maximum of 70 lakh bricks can be produced in a year from a brick kiln,” said Hafizur, adding that bricks can be burnt around six to seven times in six months.
The production cost of brick has increased with the increase in price of coal and other materials and labour costs, he added.
“We have to invest Tk 6 to Tk 7 to produce one brick. The production cost increases if the bricks get damaged due to rain before burning,” said Bellal Hossain, owner of Niaz Bricks in Zianagar upazila.
There are 22 authorised brick kilns in seven upazilas of the district. But bricks are also produced in unauthorised brick kilns that burn wood instead of coal.
Comments