Seven brick kilns fined Tk 21 lakh in Khulna

A mobile court in Khulna in a daylong drive on Sunday fined seven brick kilns Tk 21 lakh at Dumuria upazila in Khulna for violating the High Court's order and flouting rules of brick kilns control law.
 
The court, led by executive magistrate of Department of Environment (DoE) of Khulna Division Momtaz Begum, conducted drives at several brick kilns in Kharnia and Sholgatia areas under the upazila and imposed the fine.
 The court fined Tk 3 lakh for each of the seven brick kiln proprietors. The seven brick kilns are-- Nurjahan brick kiln of Shajahan Jamadder, KB-2 brick kiln of Humayun Kabir Bulu, JB brick kiln of Abdul Latif Jamadder, Luin brick kiln of Rafiqul Islam, Setu brick kiln of Gazi Abdul Haque, Stone brick kiln of Iqbal Jamadder and Saimum brick kiln of Zahidul Islam.
 
Some of those (brick kilns) were built at the bank of rivers Bhadra and Hori in Kharnia and Sholgatia areas through grabbing some parts of Char Bharatia's land. Some of the brick kilns are running illegally in the area as the license of the DoE has been expired two years back, the DoE sources said.
 
Last year, a High Court Bench directed to Khulna district administration to take effective steps to evict 14 illegal brick kilns for grabbing land on the bank of two rivers while a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, an organisation of Human Rights.
 
On February 2, 2022, Khulna District Administration evicted six brick kilns and sealed off 8 brick kilns following the order of the court, Pulak Kumar Mondal, ADC (General) of Khulna confirmed.
 
District administration and the DoE conducted the drives in cooperation with Police and Fire Service and Civil Defence, he added.