The court also ordered construction to remain suspended until necessary clearances are obtained.
A brick kiln being constructed on the bank of the Karnaphuli River in Boalkhali, Chattogram, without approval from the Department of Environment. Photo: TBS
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A brick kiln being constructed on the bank of the Karnaphuli River in Boalkhali, Chattogram, without approval from the Department of Environment. Photo: TBS
A mobile court has fined the owner of an under-construction brick kiln Tk50,000 for building the facility without approval along the bank of the Karnaphuli River in Chattogram’s Boalkhali upazila.
The court also ordered construction to remain suspended until necessary clearances are obtained.
Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Kaniz Fatema conducted the drive at the under-construction D&C brick kiln in the Charkhijirpur area this afternoon (9 November).
Kaniz Fatema said local resident Haji Rafique Ahmed, 84, was constructing the kiln without permission from the relevant authorities.
After verifying the allegation, the mobile court fined him Tk50,000 under Section 7(b) of the Sand and Soil Management Act, 2010.
The court also ordered the construction work to remain suspended until the required approvals are obtained.
Several media outlets reported on 5 November that a brick kiln was being built on the bank of the Karnaphuli River. The administration launched the drive four days after the reports.
Jannatul Ferdous, senior chemist at the Department of Environment’s Chattogram district office, was also present during the drive.
Environmental experts have warned that brick kilns along the riverbank could worsen air pollution and damage the Karnaphuli’s ecosystem and natural flow.
Dr Mohammad Kamal Hossain, supernumerary professor at the Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, Chittagong University, said smoke and waste from such kilns were polluting the river.
He warned that dumping broken bricks, waste and soil along the riverbank could cause landfilling and encroachment, altering the river’s natural course.
This could trigger erosion on the opposite bank, threatening nearby forests and residential areas, he said.
“Raids alone will not be enough. Illegal brick kilns along the riverbank must be shut down permanently,” he added.
Mohammad Mozahidur Rahman, deputy director of the Department of Environment’s Chattogram district office, said a department official had inspected the site and the matter was under investigation.
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