Govt shuts 462 brick kilns in anti-pollution drives, fines Tk 200 million
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The Department of Environment has shut down 462 brick kilns in anti-pollution mobile drives across the country since January this year and fined Tk 200 million.
The department conducted those drives from 2 January to 9 March. A total of 598 mobile court operations were carried out during this period.
The drives targeted vehicles emitting excessive black smoke, illegal polluting brick kilns, steel mills, noise pollution, hazardous waste disposal, lead/battery recycling factories, wetland encroachment, tire pyrolysis plants, charcoal factories, and air pollution caused by construction materials left in open spaces, according to the department.
During these operations, 1,363 cases were filed, and fines amounting to Tk 197.9 million were collected.
Additionally, 305 brick kiln chimneys were demolished, completely shutting down their operations.
Orders were issued to close 157 more brick kilns, while 60 kilns had their raw bricks destroyed. Six trucks of lead/battery smelting equipment were seized from five factories, which were subsequently shut down.
On 9 March 2025, four mobile court drives were conducted in Dhaka’s Hatirjheel, Moghbazar, Adabor, Aftabnagar, Badda, and Dhanmondi areas under the Air Pollution Control Rules 2022. These drives led to 11 cases, with fines amounting to Tk 60 thousand.
Several business owners were warned, and immediate removal of construction materials was ordered.
On the same day, a mobile court drive was conducted in Narayanganj against a ready-mix factory under the Solid Waste Management Rules 2021. Three cases were filed, and a fine of Tk 50 thousand was collected.
Additionally, 20 mobile court drives were conducted across Panchagarh, Kurigram, Dinajpur, Nilphamari, Jhenaidah, Bhola, Sirajganj, Meherpur, Moulvibazar, Pirojpur, Gaibandha, Shariatpur, Barguna, Thakurgaon, Bogura, and Sherpur districts.
These drives resulted in 19 cases.
Operations of 22 brick kilns were completely shut down by demolishing kilns, extinguishing fires with water, and destroying raw bricks. Furthermore, three more brick kilns were ordered to close.
The Department of Environment will continue such enforcement actions against pollution in the future, it said in a statement.