Brick kilns must not ruin agricultural land

According to a report in this paper yesterday, a section of influential people, including some ruling party men, have been removing topsoil from vast areas of arable land along Chittagong-Cox's Bazar highway in Satkania forcefully and selling it to the local brick kilns. When the land owners protested, some of them were even attacked with sharp weapons. In many such incidents, the local police was reluctant to file any cases. This is very disappointing.

Although brick kilns should be set up in selected places away from the locality, in most of the cases this is not followed. Thus around 45 brick kilns in Satkania, most of them unauthorised, have been polluting the air of the area posing serious health risks for the locals. And although establishment of brick kilns near agricultural land is illegal and the use of topsoil from agricultural land is prohibited by law, the law is not implemented. The local administration must take the issue seriously and make all-out efforts to implement the laws.

It is also unacceptable that the law enforcers could not arrest a single person in these incidents after mobile courts conducted drives for three consecutive days after a memorandum was submitted by a local citizens' platform. Those who were involved in these incidents must be punished no matter how influential they are. Also, the law enforcers should carry out frequent drives in the area to stop this illegal practice. The DoE's role is crucial in saving the environment of the area. It should carefully investigate the matter. We must protect our agricultural lands from unscrupulous people at any cost.