Eight brick kilns were fined Tk 12 lakh during a joint operation on Wednesday.Kushtia district administration and the Department of Environment conducted the joint operation across Kushtia Sadar and Kumarkhali upazilas, targeting kilns operating without proper authorisation or compliance with environmental regulations.Assistant Commissioner (Land) Rifatul Islam and Senior Chemist Habibul Basar from the Kushtia Department of Environment led the operation. Illegal brick kilns fined Tk 1.24 crore, 11 shut down, 15 ordered closedDuring the operation, officials not only collected fines but also issued strict instructions to halt all activities at the brick kilns. The largest fines were imposed on NSR Bricks (Tk 3 lakh), AFNR Bricks (Tk 2.5 lakh), Five Star (Tk 2 lakh), and HNR Bricks (Tk 2 lakh) in Kushtia Sadar’s Lakshmipur and Horinarayanpur areas.Meanwhile, in Kumarkhali upazila, four other brick kilns were fined Tk 2.5 lakh collectively. Kumarkhali Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) SM Mikail Islam said that the penalties were determined under the Brick Manufacturing Act, taking into account the scale of the kilns’ operations. HC orders immediate action to halt illegal brick kilns in CHTRifatul Islam said that stricter legal action would be taken if the kilns resume their activities in violation of the law.

As many as 213 unauthorised mobile handsets were seized from a market in the city’s Mirpur area on Tuesday. Enforcement and Inspection Team of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab-4) made the seizure during a drive at eight shops in Mirpur Shopping Complex, the BTRC said in a statement. Also read: BTRC's spectrum auction: Govt earns revenue of Tk 10,645 crore During the drive, the law enforcers detained six people who were involved in the business of unauthorised mobile handsets for a long time. Legal processes are underway against the detainees under Bangladesh Telecommunications Act, 2001, reads the statement.

The High Court on Sunday issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why directives should not be given to stop the operation of the unauthorised level-crossings and install fences along the authorised ones.