5 demolished brick kilns resume operations in Barguna again

Five brick kilns which were built illegally around four to five years ago and demolished by local administration recently, have resumed their operation in five areas of Barguna district.

The brick kilns were demolished on March 10 during a drive jointly led by Environment Department's Executive Magistrate Rozina Akhter, Deputy Director of Barishal Environment Department Kamruzzaman Sarkar, and Rab-8 members.

But owners of all the brick kilns resumed their operation in April around a month after they were demolished, our Patuakhali correspondent reports quoting locals. 

They have been using drum chimneys again, and burning wood that poorly affects nearby villagers, the locals said.

The brick kilns are MMB bricks owned by Mahbub Mridha in Raibala village, Madhu Pada's Five Star Bricks in Khakdan village, Abul Hossain's AMB kiln of Krishnanagar village, Montu's MSB kiln of Ibrahimpur village and Ismail Hossain's JBB kiln in Kaunia village of the Amtali upazila.

They were established illegally on agricultural land four to five years ago and had been running their operations without any permission from Department of Environment and Barguna District Administration, the locals said.

Not only that, Kukuya Adarsh ​​Secondary School and Kukuya Government Primary School, Community Clinic and Kukuya Union Parishad Complex are located right next to AMB brick kilns in Krishnanagar village.

Ibrahimpur Government Primary School is situated 150 meters away from MSB kilns at Ibrahimpur village and Kaunia Government Primary and Kaunia Ibrahim Academy Secondary School are both 100 meters away from JBB kiln in Kaunia village.

Mahbub Mridha, owner of MMB brick kilns admitted that they have convinced and managed the local administration to begin their work in the area again.

Madhu Pada, owner of Five Star Bricks, did not comment when asked about resumption of operations.

Barishal Environment Department's Deputy Director Kamruzzaman Sarkar said the illegal kilns will be demolished soon by conducting drives in the areas.