Demolition of illegal brick kilns: who to bell the cat?

That brick kilns cause colossal damage to the environment is an established truth that needs little elaboration.  However, neither the decision-makers nor the law enforcers are showing a good understanding of the issue, let alone members of the public. Decision makers could not even persuade the brick kiln owners to adopt the latest technology believed to be a bit safer than the traditional methods, leading to mushrooming of illegal brick kilns across the country.

According to the Department of Environment (DoE), as many as 8,500 brick kilns are currently operating in the country. But around a half of them do not have environmental clearances. That means over 4,000 brick kilns are running illegally, causing tremendous harm to the ecology and environment. These brickfield owners use either wood or low-quality coal containing more than four per cent of sulphur, indiscriminately fell trees to collect fuel and use the topsoil for manufacturing bricks. More than 140 million metric tonnes of soil are required annually to run these brick kilns. Such widespread damage to the topsoil poses a serious threat to the fertility and productivity of the agricultural fields. Moreover, the toxic gases emitted by the brickfields have led to a high concentration of harmful particles in the air as a result of which people in the vicinity of the brickfields suffer from various ailments of the respiratory system.

The Environmental Protection Act of 2010 and the Brick Kiln Control Act of 2013 stipulate that brick kilns cannot be established within one kilometer of residential areas, mountains, forests, or wetlands. Furthermore, brick kilns are prohibited on agricultural land. Yet, a vast majority of brick kilns across the country operate in direct violation of these laws. For example, establishing brick kilns is explicitly prohibited in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. However, a recent report by a national daily revealed the existence of 119 illegal brick kilns in the region. The CHT region is known for its scenic beauty and biodiversity. Toxic fumes billowing from the brick kilns are not only causing ecological and environmental degradation in the region but also posing a threat to its flora and fauna. The environmental blight due to brick kilns is not isolated to CHT alone; it is common in all other corners of the country. 

On February 24, the High Court ordered the government to demolish all brick kilns running illegally across the country within four weeks. The court also asked the authorities to submit reports after complying with the directives on March 17. Additionally, the court summoned the director general of the DoE and the divisional commissioners of Barishal, Sylhet, Rajshahi, Rangpur and Mymensingh, asking them to appear before it on March 17 for their failure to take effective steps to shut illegal brick kilns.

However, the public are very much familiar with such well-meaning High Court directives and the ensuing sporadic drives that produced almost no results in the past. According to a news report, the DoE sealed nearly 1,000 illegal kilns in 2024. However, 75 per cent of those kilns were back in operation within a few days. So, the question is why the authorities have failed to permanently close the brickfields that are illegal?

A recent investigative report sheds light on the pervasive corruption that enables illegal brick kilns to flourish. Brick kiln owners reportedly pay between Tk 0.4 million and Tk 1 million annually in bribes to government officials, police and political leaders to keep their operations running. In some cases, bricks are supplied to the relatives of upazila officials at discounted rates - or even for free. Moreover, brick kiln owners are often coerced into 'sponsoring' various local government events, with their contributions effectively serving as unofficial protection fees.

It is no secret that local government bodies collect Local Resource (LR) funds from local businesses to cover certain expenses. For instance, while high-ranking government officials receive a separate daily allowance for food and accommodation during district or upazila visits, the expenses of their accompanying entourage are often met from the LR fund. And the owners of illegal brick kilns are among the top contributors to the LR funds. Allegations have it that local administrations refrain from taking action against illegal brick kilns due to their financial contributions to the LR fund. These funds are ostensibly collected to support state functions but serve as a financial tool to protect illegal brick kilns. Moreover, establishing a new kiln requires unofficial payments through the Nezarat Deputy Collector (NDC), for which no official receipt is provided. Additional bribes are paid to land surveyors and assistant commissioners to ensure favourable reports are sent to district administrators. Furthermore, annual payments are made to ruling party leaders and local mafia groups to secure uninterrupted operations.

The High Court's directive to demolish all illegal brick kilns within four weeks is welcome. But the question is who will break the unholy nexus of politically influential people, corrupt government officials, and brick kiln manufacturers that sustain these illegal operations? There will be no escape from the hazardous consequences of these kilns until this pernicious network is broken. But simply stating the obvious does not provide a solution. It evokes the familiar fable about a group of mice, who had once gathered to discuss how to deal with a marauding cat. The mice decided that a bell would be placed around the cat's neck, so that they could know when the cat would approach them. When one mouse asked who would volunteer to place the bell around the cat's neck, there was silence.

The government departments concerned must take a decisive stance on shutting down illegal brick kilns by severing all illegal relationships with brick kiln owners. Furthermore, to promote sustainable construction practices, the government should prioritise the use of environment-friendly block bricks in all public infrastructure projects, and adopt measures to incentivise its wider production and adoption.

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