Brick kiln skulks in village for 27 years!

The brick kiln sits in the middle of a village of about 2,000 inhabitants, in close proximity of an upazila town. It burns wood for its fuel. It uses barrel chimneys. It never obtained any clearance from the Department of Environment.

All of the conditions mentioned above are violations of applicable laws in the country.

And how long have these violations been going on? Not one, not two, but 27 years!

But for the authorities concerned, including the DoE or the district administration, 27 years might not be enough time to go into action against the kiln named Kazi Khandakar Bricks in Murali village under Rajnagar union of Rajnagar upazila. 

Shaheda Akther, coordinator of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) in Sylhet division, said according to section 465 of the Brick Manufacturing and Brick Kilns Establishment (Control) Act-2010, no brick kiln can be established within a three-kilometre radius of residential areas, upazila headquarters, fruit orchards, farmlands, forestlands and localities.

The local administration needs to step in immediately to save the environment from pollution being caused by Kazi Khandakar Bricks, which violated the law by setting up the kiln on farmland adjacent to a locality, she added.  

Not just the villagers of Murali, but about 20,000 others from seven to eight surrounding villages and students of least ten educational institutions are also being affected by the kiln. The only road -- connecting Murali union with Moulvibazar-Rajnagar road -- they use every day to get to the upazila headquarters or the schools and madrasas, runs by the brick field and frequent movement of heavy vehicles transporting earth for the kiln is damaging the road.

Besides, in addition to the pollution caused by smoke from burning wood, clouds of dust kicked up by the vehicles during movement on the one-kilometre-long damaged road, plastered with layers of earth, is also causing health concerns for the villagers and students.  

Other than the air pollution, agricultural land in the area has started to have a long-term negative impact caused by the brick field. 

Farmer Anu Mia of Murali village said yield of crops is on the decline at agricultural farms, including his, located near the brick field. 

Another local farmer, requesting not to be named, said they are always under pressure to sell topsoil from their agricultural land to the brick field and many of the farmers, who had to sell topsoil from their land, have been getting poor harvest. 

Both the farmers said such a harmful establishment needs to be shut down without any delay.

Shahidul Alam, Rajnagar upazila agriculture officer, said crop yield usually falls when a brick kiln is built next to arable land.

When reached for his expert opinion, Narayan Saha, former head of Department of Forestry and Environmental Science at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, said brick kilns are harmful when those are set up in populated areas and those pose risk of massive environmental degradation in the area.

A number of residents from the affected villages, including Murali, Balligaon, Dugao, Paitura, Bangaligaon, Alisargaon and Jamura, said they had been too afraid to speak up against the pollution and sufferings caused by the kiln because Latifur Rahman Chowdhury, the owner of Kazi Khandakar Bricks, is a highly influential person in the area.

Only recently, they submitted written complaints with the deputy commissioner (DC) of Moulvibazar, the upazila nirbahi officer of    Rajnagar and other government departments concerned, they also said.

Confirming receipt of the complaint, Badrul Huda, assistant director of DoE in Moulvibazar, said the department will soon take action against Kazi Khandakar Bricks as it has been running without any approval from the DoE.

The use of barrel chimneys is causing serious harm to the environment and arable land as well as to human health in the densely populated area, he also said.

When asked why the DoE waited so long to take action, he said he was transferred to the area recently and prior to the complaints filed by villagers, the DoE did not receive any information regarding the brick field operating in Murali village.  

Contacted, Moulvibazar DC Nazia Shirin assured of action against anyone who violates the law.   

The owner of Kazi Khandakar Bricks, Latifur Rahman Chowdhury, however, claimed that he has all necessary approvals for operating the brick field and that was the reason why he could run the kiln for the last 27 years in the village. 

A quarter with vested interests has been spreading rumours to destroy his business, he further claimed.