The Department of Environment (DoE) fined seven brick kilns a total of Tk19 lakh in Singair upazila of Manikganj on Monday for illegally extracting topsoil from agricultural land.
The penalties were capitalised during a day-long mobile court operation on 30 March.
According to DoE officials, a section of unscrupulous kiln owners has long been stripping the fertile upper layer of farmland to manufacture bricks, which severely diminishes soil fertility, reduces crop yields, and causes significant environmental degradation.
Deputy Director Muhammad Abdullah Al Mamun said cutting topsoil is strictly prohibited under the law.
“Such activities pose a grave threat to the country’s food security and the environment,” he said, adding that the department maintains a strict stance and will continue to conduct regular raids.
The fined establishments include M/S KFC Bricks in Berundi and M/S Sohan Bricks in Kholapara, which were each penalised Tk4 lakh. M/S AAB & Co in Garadia was fined Tk3.50 lakh, while M/S MRM Bricks in Ramkantapur was ordered to pay Tk2.50 lakh.
Additionally, JBC Bricks in Govindal was fined Tk2 lakh, and two other units in Ramkantapur – M/S KBC Bricks-1 and M/S KBC Bricks-2 – were fined Tk1.50 lakh each. The accused owners reportedly paid the fine amounts on the spot.
The drive was conducted under the violation of Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 2019. Md Sajjad Zahid Ratul, executive magistrate of the DoE Monitoring and Enforcement Wing, led the mobile court, while Assistant Director Mozaffar Khan served as the prosecutor.
The DoE has reaffirmed its commitment to intensifying such operations in the future to protect agricultural land and ensure environmental conservation.
