Vehicular movement on Dhaka-Aricha highway remained suspended for three houses as the workers of different brick kilns blocked the highway protesting the government decision to dismantle the brick kilns and declared Savar as "degraded airshed" by the Department of Environment (DoE).

Witnesses said several hundred workers of different brick kilns took to the highway at Bhanga Bridge around 9 am protesting the government's move to dismantle the brick kilns.

A ten-kilometre-long tailback has been created stretching on either side of the highway following the blockade, causing immense sufferings to the commuters.

On information, police and army rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

Jewel Mia, officer-in-charge of Savar Police Station, said the vehicular movement came to normal around 12 pm.

Recently, the government declared the entire Savar upazila under Dhaka district as a ‘degraded air shed’ under Rule 5 of the Air Pollution (Control) Rules, 2022.

The declaration was issued through a circular signed on August 17 by Md Kamruzzaman, Director General of the Department of Environment (DoE).

According to the notification, all types of brick kilns in Savar — except Tunnel Kilns and Hybrid Hoffman Kilns —have been prohibited from operating from September 25, including brick burning and production activities.

Already, the operation of a number of brick kilns was suspended while the operation of more will be on the verge of closure.