For centuries, brick kilns, characterised by fiery chimneys and billowing smoke, have played a key role in the construction industry. Despite their contribution in providing essential building materials, their operations entail harmful impacts on human health, biodiversity and environment.  What is a Brick Kiln? A brick kiln is a specialised facility used in the production of bricks, fundamental building blocks for construction. These kilns play a vital role in shaping the urban landscape. The process involves heating clay or other materials in furnaces to create bricks and contributes to the growth of infrastructure. However, the traditional methods employed in brick kilns can have environmental and health consequences, making it imperative to explore sustainable alternatives and technologies. Impacts of Brick Kiln on Health Particulate Matter Emissions Brick kilns pose a major health risk due to the emission of particulate matter, including pollutants like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Inhaling these pollutants can irritate the lungs, leading to coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Prolonged exposure may contribute to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).  Read more: 9 illegal brick kilns shut down, fined Tk 47 lakh in Sirajganj Respiratory Issues  Prolonged exposure to emissions from brick kilns can lead to a range of respiratory problems. From workers within the kilns to residents in nearby communities, the inhalation of pollutants can result in asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory ailments. Occupational Health Risks Workers directly involved in brick kiln operations face occupational health risks due to exposure to high temperatures, dust, and pollutants. Adequate safety measures and protective equipment are crucial to mitigating these risks. Cardiovascular Problems  Brick kiln fumes, laden with pollutants, can obstruct arteries, elevate blood pressure, and disturb heart rhythms. These adverse effects heighten the likelihood of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure, underlining the severe cardiovascular risks associated with exposure.  Read more: 4 brick kilns shut down for polluting air in South Keraniganj Skin Problems  Dust and irritants emanating from brick kilns inflict skin torment on workers, causing rashes, itching, and burns. The daily grind leaves exposed skin raw, rendering workers vulnerable and uncomfortable in their work environment.  Cancer  Inhaling brick kiln fumes conceal invisible dangers, harbouring carcinogens that escalate cancer risks over time. Exposed workers face heightened threats of lung, skin, and other cancers, emphasising the risks associated with prolonged exposure.

Nine illegal brick kilns were shut down and fined Tk 47 lakh on Thursday in Sirajganj’s Raiganj and Tarash upazilas. These brick kilns did not have any clearance from the Department of Environment (DoE) but were operating illegally for a long time without following government regulations, said Abdul Ghafur, assistant director of the district environment department. Man jailed for life for killing wife in Sirajganj A mobile court led by Executive Magistrate Faizunnessa Akter conducted a drive in the district on Thursday and fined one brick kiln in Tarash and eight more in Raiganj upazila. The kilns were also demolished by the mobile court. 3 stabbed in Sirajganj for obstructing road construction work on their land Officials of the Department of Environment, along with Police and Ansar members were present during the operation. Meanwhile in Dhaka, the Department of Environment shut down four more illegal brick kilns as they were polluting air at Keraniganj in Dhaka. Is There Any Alternative to Brick Kilns? A total of Tk 64 lakhs in fines was also slapped on the four brick kilns in a mobile court drive run jointly by the head office and Dhaka office of the Department of Environment (DoE) on Thursday.

The Department of Environment has shut down the operations of four illegal brick kilns as they were polluting air at Keraniganj in Dhaka. A total of Tk 64 lakhs was also slapped on the four brick kilns in a mobile court drive run jointly by the head office and Dhaka office of the Department of Environment (DoE) on Thursday. Newlywed couple electrocuted in Keraniganj  The four brick kilns are Noor Bricks, Delwar Traders and Vai Vai Bricks at Brahmangaon in South Keraniganj, and Mousumi Bricks Manufacturer at Jajira, in South Keraniganj. Among them, the chimney of Noor Brick was razed down completely and the fined Tk 4 lakh, while operation of three other bricks were shut down and each was fined Tk 20 lakh. DoE Executive Magistrate Mohammad Masud Hasan Patwary led the mobile court, said a press release. Is There Any Alternative to Brick Kilns?

Around 60 percent of the brick kilns in the country are being operated illegally without environmental clearance.   Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Shahab Uddin gave this information on Tuesday in response to a tabled question of ruling party lawmaker Mamunur Rashid Kiran in Parliament. Read more: Govt may provide loans for producing eco-friendly bricks: Environment Minister The minister said that the total number of brick kilns in the country (June 2022) is 7881. Of these, 3,248 are being operated legally.  But 4,633 brick kilns are operating without environmental clearance. The minister said 41.2 percent of the brick kilns are legal and 58.8 percent are illegal. The minister said that from 2019 to 2022, some 1,772 drives were conducted and some of Tk 77.62 crore was collected from 3,37 brick kilns.  Read more: DCs asked to take steps against brick kilns Besides,  907 brick kilns were shut and 80 people were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment. In response to the question of ruling party MP M Abdul Latif of the government party, the minister said that about 30,000 tonnes solid wastes are generated in the cities of Bangladesh every day.  In 2025, the quantity of daily waste will increase to 47,000 tonnes. The minister said that about 10 percent of  the solid waste is plastic.

The High Court on Monday directed the government to stop operations of all illegal brick kilns in four districts -- Bogura, Tangail, Lalmonirhat, and Thakurgaon. The HC bench of Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Md Shohrowardi came up with the order following a writ petition. The HC bench of Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Md Shohrowardi directed the Department of Environment (DoE) to implement this order and submit a report within the next seven days. Besides, it has asked to make a complete list of all illegal brick kilns in the country and submit the list within the next 2 weeks, said Manzil Morshed, president of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB). The court also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain in four weeks why their inaction to shut down the illegal brick kilns in four districts under the Brick Kilns Control Act, 2013 should not be declared illegal. Read more: HC asks for list of closed brick kilns around Dhaka Despite the existence of provisions like no brick kiln can be set up without a license, they continue to proliferate throughout the country The writ was filed on November 6 following a report published in a daily newspaper in this regard. Read more: 5 brick kiln workers killed by lightning strike in Rangpur  

Farmers at Dandapal union in Debiganj upazila of Panchagarh are worried as their Paddy crop and variety of fruits including banana, mango, jackfruit, litchi and betel nut have been severely damaged due to toxic smoke from nearby brick kilns. The farmers have already informed the officials of the agriculture department several times about the issue but no steps were taken. Eventually, the aggrieved farmers were forced to carry out a human chain program in the brickfield area demanding to remove brick kilns from the middle of a vast tract of cropland. They complained that it was damaging crops every year. Read: Mild heat wave sweeps over four districts The paddy planted on 300 bighas of land near Dhanmondol area of the union have dried out and turned sterile under the impact of smoke emitted from Shaheen Bricks Fields, said local growers. The leaves of banana, mango, jackfruit, litchi and betel nut trees had turned brownish due to toxic smoke from the brick kilns, said farmers of the area. Not only that, the health of the common people in the area, including the students of the school and college in the vicinity of the brickfield is at risk.

The environment and the biodiversity in the south-western region of the country face damage and pollution due to illegal brick kilns built on the locality as well as along the river banks. In addition, people in the region are at serious health risk from the smoke, gas and dust emitted from these brick kilns, according to experts. Besides, the Rupsha River is shrinking; its direction is changing. Although these brick kilns are operated freely, the higher authorities are silent. Read: HC asks govt to pull down 130 illegal brick kilns in CHT However, these illegal kilns were not demolished even though fines were imposed through mobile courts from time to time. According to the locals, they are suffering from variouscdiseases such as cold, cough and respiratory problem due to the toxic smoke of the brick kiln near their house. The yields from the trees and lands are also declining. According to the list of the Department of Environment (DoE), there are 63 legal brickfields in Rupsha, 20 in Dumuria, five in Batiaghata, nine in Terkhada and three in Dighalia. There are allegations that the brick kilns are enlisted by the DoE even after being built in a densely populated area within 200 meters from the educational institutions. Besides, UNB correspondent came to know that more than 50 brick kilns have been illegally built in Paikgacha, Fultala and Koira including those five upazilas. There are allegations that the local administration is not playing a significant role in demolishing those even after they have been removed from the list of the DoE. Bricks are being burnt in 14 kilns including ARB Bricks, Jamuna Bricks, SKB Bricks at Paikgacha upazila. None of these are listed on the DoE list and are being operated in the densely populated areas and on agricultural lands. But, the upazila administration said seven kilns have licenses in this upazila. Meanwhile, six brick kiln owners in this upazila were fined Tk 2,40,000 this year. There are several kilns including Fultala Super Bricks, JB Bricks, United Bricks, Prince Bricks, Ekota Bricks, Khanjahan Ali Bricks. Most of the brick kilns at Rupsha, Dumuria and Terkhada have been built on the bank of the river. The ABM brick kiln is built in 500 meters of the densely populated area that includes Koira Upazila Health Complex and educational institutions. On the other hand, according to Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) sources, 50 brick kilns have been built by occupying the two banks of Bhadra, Hari, Shailmari, Atai and Atharobeki rivers of Khulna. Of these, 18 kilns are in Rupsha upazila, 18 in Dumuria, 11 in Terkhada and three in Dighalia. Locals alleged the kiln owners took possession of the river bank as well as the surrounding lands of the government. Bricks are being made at those kilns by cutting the soil of the sandbars of the area, forcing the river to change its direction. Although the list of these illegal kilns has been compiled, the eviction process has come to a halt. Meanwhile, the High Court ordered the eviction of 14 brick kilns built on the bank of the Bhadra and Hari rivers in Dumuria upazila in 60 days. Read: Raze all illegal brick kilns in Dhaka & adjoining districts in 15 days: HC On December 14, a HC bench of Justice Justice Justice Md. Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md. Kamrul Hossain Mollah passed the order following a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB). Regarding the implementation of the court order, Dumuria Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Abdul Wadud said, "We have demarcated the governmental land of the river with red flags." The kiln owners were also asked not to operate brick kilns within that area. Besides, a fine of Tk 3.5 lakh has been imposed on those four kilns this year. Md. Maruf Billah, inspector of the DoE, said that the list of legal brick kilns has been published on the website. The work of conducting mobile courts is going on to demolish the illegal ones. In this regard, Advocate Babul Hawlader, Coordinator of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) Khulna, said that the residents, especially the children and the elderly people, here are suffering from respiratory and heart problems due to harmful smokes from the illegal brick kilns. Crops and plants are being destroyed due to the smoke. The fish in the river are being destroyed. "Above all, air pollution has a negative impact on the entire ecosystem, including humans," he added. Ashraful Alam, executive engineer of the BWDB in Khulna, said a list of illegal occupants had already been compiled and sent to the deputy commissioner's office. If they do not demolish the kilns themselves, eviction activities will be conducted with the help of the district administration. "Action will be taken against all illegal occupants in phases. And, work will be done to evict the BIW occupants," the official warned.

The High Court on Monday asked the government to raze 130 unregistered brick kilns and related establishments in three hill districts of Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachhari to curb air pollution. The order was passed by the HC bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Fatema Najib responding to a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, a rights group. The bench also asked the deputy commissioners of the hill districts to take legal action against the owners of the illegal brick kilns there and submit a progress report on it within six weeks. Also read: Raze all illegal brick kilns in Dhaka & adjoining districts in 15 days: HC Advocate Manzill Murshid stood for the petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Tushar Kanti Roy represented the state. According to Brick Manufacturing and Brick Kiln Establishment (Control) Act, 2013, no brick kiln without a license can operate in the country and the owners can be jailed for two years for violating the law. Despite the law many run unauthorized brick kilns across the country, polluting environment. The deputy commissioners concerned of the three hill districts recently submited separate reports regarding the illegal brick kilns. Also read: 319 illegal brick kilns in Dhaka, 4 surrounding districts, DoE DG reports to HC According to the reports, there are 25 illegal brick kilns in Rangamati, 35 in Khagrachhari and 70 in Bandarban. The local administration has closed down 64 brick kilns in the hilly districts.

The High Court on Monday directed to shut down all the brick kilns operating without any license across Dinajpur and Moulvibazar district within seven days. The court also directed the Deputy Commissioners of the districts and director of the Environment Department to submit a list of these illegal kilns within the next six weeks in affidavit format. The bench of Justice JBM Hasan and Fatema Najib passed the order during a hearing on the writ filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB). READ: HC orders Bagerhat municipal mayor to surrender The court asked to be informed of the development in this regard within two weeks and issued a rule as to why respondents' inactivity to shut these brick kilns will not be declared illegal. Lawyer Monjil Morshed presented the petitioner’s side assisted by advocate Sanjay Mandal while Deputy Attorney General Tushar Kanti Roy appeared for the state. Advocate Monjil Morshed said according to Brick Manufacturing and Brick Kiln Establishment (Control) (Amendment) Act, 2019, no brick kiln without a license can operate in the country and its owners will be punished for two years in jail for doing so. READ: Ex-OC Pradeep appeals to HC challenging indictment order in graft case But the administration did not take any action against the illegal kilns that are operating across Dinajpur and Moulvibazar which are harming the environment and creating health risks, he said. Following the reports published in different media, HRPB filed the writ petition in public interest, he said.

Five illegal brick kilns were fined Tk 11 lakh on Tuesday in Kurigram’s Fulbari upazila.