Around 395 brick kilns in two districts---Kushtia and Pabna, located along the banks of the Padma River, have ignited an environmentally destructive brick production leaving threats for nature and biodiversity of Padma basin.
Among the 395 brick kilns, only 45 have identified obtained legal permits. In an alarm, 45 brick kilns have been identified in a single union of Pabna's 11 villages, all are active in production.
Sources reveal that these kilns are operating using illegally sourced soil and sand extracted from the banks and bed of the Padma River.
Moreover, the kilns not only use coal but also burn large quantities of wood, leading to deforestation of fruit-bearing and forest trees.
Environmental experts caution that these unregulated operations are inflicting severe damage on the river, agriculture, biodiversity, and the surrounding ecosystem.
According to district administration and environmental department reports, 173 brick kilns are operational in Pabna district. Among them, only 30 have environmental clearance, while 143 are entirely illegal. In Kushtia, 218 kilns are active, with only 15 approved and the remaining 203 operating without licenses or environmental permits.
In Pabna, most of the brick kilns are concentrated in Laxmikunda village of Ishwardi upazila and Hemayetpur of Sadar upazila. Ishwardi hupazila has 55 kilns, with 42 located in Laxmikunda union alone. Areas such as Dadapur, Kamalpur, Bilkedar and Babulchar on the Padma Riverbanks house these kilns. Hemayetpur upazila has 46 kilns.
Of the 88 kilns in two unions, only 8 are approved.
Dr. Jamal Uddin, Deputy Director of the Pabna Agriculture Extension Department, estimates that each kiln uses at least 40 bighas of land. To produce 20 lakh of 10-inch bricks in these 88 kilns, approximately 226,000 tonnes of soil is required. With no legal sources available, these kilns resort to indiscriminate soil extraction from the Padma River’s banks, riverbeds, and agricultural fields.
The frenzy of soil extraction typically peaks from October to April annually. Soil from farmland, riverbanks and government khas lands is transported daily in hundreds of trucks and tractors to these kilns.
In a recent visit to remote areas like Laxmikunda union in Ishwardi reveal that brick kiln owners are operating without hindrance exploiting the inaccessibility of the areas. Although extracting soil from river areas is prohibited by law, the river police force is tasked with enforcement. But a river police station is located there.
However, multiple sources allege that local river police remain silent on these illegal activities.
Akibul Islam, in charge of Laxmikunda River Police Station, claimed that his police is supposed to work only inside the river and he reported that seven workers involved in illegal soil extraction from river bed were jailed for 15 days and fined Tk. 110,000 last month.
Yet, the illegal supply of soil to brick kilns remains unabated.
Abdul Gafur, Assistant Director of the Pabna Environmental Department, admitted the inefficacy of current efforts. He stated that several other institutions are involved in either halting or enabling illegal kilns, complicating the situation.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Ishwardi, Subir Kumar Das, said eviction drives are ongoing as part of a continuous process.
In Kushtia, there are 203 unlicensed brick kilns across six upazilas, including 96 fixed kilns with 120-foot chimneys, 65 zigzag kilns, and 41 drum kilns with chimneys only 30-40 feet high.
As in previous years, these illegal kilns have already begun extracting topsoil from agricultural lands and riverbeds to produce bricks for the current season.
According to sources close to the district administration, obtaining a brick kiln license requires submission of an affidavit to the DC, specifying the source of soil for brick production.
However, most kiln owners flout this requirement.
Allegations are widespread that a powerful syndicate of kiln owners, leveraging financial influence and connections, obstructs the Department of Environment and local authorities from taking stringent action against illegal kilns. Additionally, some owners exploit legal avenues, creating barriers by approaching higher courts, further complicating efforts to shut down these operations. This legal entanglement, combined with administrative apathy, has allowed the destruction of trees and continuation of illegal brick production.
During drives, authorities typically demolish parts of kiln chimneys to halt production. However, these kilns often resume operations within days.
For example, on December 4, an eviction attempt in Kushtia’s Kumarakhali Upazila, led by Kumarkhali UNO Mikail Islam and officials from the Department of Environment and law enforcement and was thwarted by local resistance while targeting a drum kiln in Charsadipur.
Similarly, on January 4, four kilns were dismantled in the same upazila.
But investigations later revealed that the owners had rebuilt their chimneys and resumed operations almost immediately. Reports suggest that many kiln owners maintain multiple spare chimneys to circumvent such actions.
Habibul Bashar, Deputy Director of the Department of Environment in Kushtia, stated that actions against illegal kilns would soon be intensified.
THREATENS ON BIODIVERSITY
These kilns are major contributors to air pollution and the destruction of river biodiversity.
The Environmental Protection Act, 2010, and the Brick Kiln Control Act, 2013, prohibit brick kilns within one kilometer of residential areas, hills, forests, or wetlands, as well as on agricultural lands. However, nearly all brick kilns in the country violate these regulations.
Bipul Roy, a teacher of the Geography and Environment Science Department at Islamic University, Kushtia, stressed that the detrimental effects of brick kilns are both immediate and long-term.
He warned that the long-term damage is devastating with permanent harm being done to the Padma River basin. He highlighted how indiscriminate brick kiln operations in Kushtia and Pabna along the Padma's banks are causing severe erosion, pollution of soil and irreversible destruction of biodiversity.
Two Deputy Commissioners (DCs) in Pabna and Kushtia talked about the issue.
DC Pabna, Mohammad Mofizul Islam, mentioned that coordinated operations involving four departments are conducted against illegal brick kilns. He added that their operations are ongoing and fines are being imposed.
Besides, Kushtia DC Toufiqur Rahman emphasized that no unlicensed kilns or those without environmental clearance would be allowed to operate. He also mentioned that mobile courts are being conducted to stop the burning of wood in kilns.