Anti-pollution drives: Tk24cr fined, 670 illegal brick kilns shut down during Jan-Apr
1.8 lakh kg polythene seized
Under the initiative of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Department of Environment (DoE) has been conducting extensive nationwide anti-pollution drives.
Between 2 January and 28 April, a total of 819 mobile court operations were conducted across the country, said a press release issued today.
During this period, 1,755 cases were filed, and fines worth Tk24.6 crore were imposed.
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As part of these operations, 460 illegal brick kiln chimneys were demolished and their operations shut down. Strict closure orders were issued for another 210 brick kilns, while raw bricks at 127 kilns were destroyed.
Additionally, the electrical connection of one kiln was disconnected, and one individual was sentenced to one month of simple imprisonment.
In a related effort, equipment used for smelting lead and batteries was seized from six establishments involving eight trucks, and the factories were shut down.
Since 3 November 2024, 383 mobile court operations have also been conducted against the production, sale, supply, and marketing of banned polythene.
Through these drives, Tk56.49 lakh was realised in fines from 701 establishments, and approximately 1.86 lakh kilograms of banned polythene were seized.
On 28 April alone, two mobile courts operated in Dhaka's Agargaon and Khilgaon areas against air pollution caused by the storage of construction materials, resulting in six cases and fines totaling Tk35,000.
On the same day, three mobile court operations were carried out in Barisal, Chandpur, and Rajshahi districts against illegal polythene production and sale.
Four cases were filed, fines amounting to Tk30,000 were imposed, and 670 kilograms of polythene were seized. Awareness messages were also delivered to shop owners and the general public regarding the harmful effects of polythene.
In addition, a mobile court operation was conducted against a tire pyrolysis factory in Ashulia, Dhaka, which led to a fine of Tk2 lakh and dismantling of the factory.
Similarly, an illegal lead-battery recycling factory in Ashulia was fined Tk2 lakh and dismantled.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change confirmed that such anti-pollution drives will continue to ensure environmental protection.
