Gopalganj environment threatened by brick kilns
Despite the government’s steps to shut kilns down, influential kiln owners have kept them operational
The environment, public health, and farmlands of Gopalganj have come under threat because local influential people have established illegal brick kilns.Locals have submitted written complaints to the offices of the Gopalganj deputy commissioner, and those affiliated, demanding the kilns be shut down.
According to the complaint, eight years ago, former Union Parishad (UP) chairman of Lohagara—in Norail district near Kashiani upazila of Gopalganj—Badar Khandokar, and his brother Babar Khandokar, grabbed 10 acres of government land in Char Kalna village under Kashiani upazila.
There, they established brick kilns without the permission of the Department of Environment.Aside from using barrel chimneys, these brick kilns—erected in an extremely populated region—are also using wood as fuel, harming the nearby environment.There are allegations against Badar and Babar that, through threats, they have forcefully grabbed the farmland of local farmers to use for kilns.
Even after a mobile court of the Department of Environment—with the help of the deputy commissioner—in 2016, fined kiln owners Tk50,000 and ordered a kiln be shut down, it was reopened by influential owners.
Posted by admin
on Jan 20 2019. Filed under Bangladesh Exclusive.
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