DoE fines illegal brick kilns Tk1.14 crore in nationwide crackdown

The Department of Environment (DoE) conducted four nationwide mobile court drives on 7 January, imposing fines totaling Tk 1.14 crore on 20 illegal brick kilns.

The operations, conducted under the Brick Manufacturing and Kiln Establishment (Control) Act, 2013 (amended in 2019), aimed to address illegal activities contributing to air pollution and environmental degradation, reads a press release by Ministry of Environment.

During the operations, 11 brick kilns were shut down, and closure orders were issued for two more. The drives also addressed a range of environmental violations, including illegal charcoal production, vehicular emissions, noise pollution, polythene usage, improper storage of construction materials, and hazardous waste management.

In one notable case, a charcoal factory owner was fined Tk100,000, and the factory was dismantled. A lead factory faced a Tk100,000 fine, and two individuals were sentenced to imprisonment—one for three months and the other for six months—for releasing hazardous waste into the environment.

In Mathbaria, Pirojpur, the DoE seized approximately 11 tons of illegal polythene shopping bags from two warehouses during a mobile court operation.

Acting under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change's decision to ban polythene shopping bags, the department filed two cases and collected Tk300,000 in fines.

Efforts to curb vehicular emissions and noise pollution included cautioning nine vehicle drivers. Market traders were warned about polythene usage during awareness discussions. Three organizations were fined Tk15,000 for causing air pollution through the open storage of construction materials, while several others received warnings.

The DoE stated that these measures are part of ongoing efforts to enforce environmental regulations strictly and mitigate air pollution across the country.