Brick kiln fined Tk2.3 lakh in Ctg for illegal hill cutting

A brick kiln and a person they contracted for cutting hill has been filed Tk2.3 lakh Chattogram.

After cutting a hill, the soil was transported by trucks to a kiln known as BBC Brick Field in the Chankhola area of Eochia Union under Satkania upazila of Chattogram, where bricks were being produced from the hill-cut soil.

This activity resulted in the transformation of sand dunes covering a significant part of the area into a large pond, posing a serious threat to the mountain environment, life, and nature.

On Friday (24 November), Assistant Commissioner (Land) of Satkania upazila Arafat Siddiqui conducted a mobile court drive at the spot and fined a person involved in hill cutting and the kiln owner Tk230,000.

Nurul Mostafa, 40, who was contracted by the brick kiln authority to cut hill was fined Tk30,000 under the relevant section of the Environment Protection Act-1995.

Additionally, under the relevant section of the Brick Making and Kiln Installation (Control) Act, 2013, BBC Brick Field manager Md Monirul Islam Choton (44) was fined Tk2 lakh for the illegal cutting of hillocks for brick kilns.

Confirming the matter of the mobile court drive, Satkania Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Arafat Siddiqui told The Business Standard that acting on a tip-off the operation was conducted with the cooperation of police members from Satkania police station and employees of the upazila land office.