Around 60% brick kilns operating illegally: environment minister

Nearly 60 percent of brick kilns in the country are illegal as they are operating without environmental clearance.

Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Shahab Uddin placed this information today in parliament in response to a question of ruling party MP Mamunur Rashid Kiran.

The minister said the total number of brick kilns in the country as of June 2022 is 7,881.

Of these, 3,248 are being operated legally. And 4,633 brick kilns are operating illegally without environmental clearance.

According to the minister, 41.2 percent of the brick kilns are legal and 58.8 percent are illegal.

The minister said that from 2019 to 2022, some 1,772 raids were conducted and some of Tk 77.62 crore was collected from 37 brick kilns.

He also said some 907 brick kilns have been closed. Eighty persons have been sentenced to various terms of imprisonment.

In response to a question of ruling party MP M Abdul Latif, the minister said that about 30,000 tonnes of solid wastes are generated in the cities of Bangladesh every day. In 2025, the daily waste will increase to 47,000 tonnes.

The minister said about 10 percent of solid waste is plastic.