The Department of Environment (DoE) carried out a nationwide anti‑pollution drive against illegal brick kilns, the use of banned polythene, air pollution, and industrial units operating without environmental clearance.
The coordinated enforcement resulted in fines, the shutdown of illegal kilns, the destruction of 15 lakh raw bricks, the seizure of banned polythene, and the disconnection of utility services to polluting establishments.
During the operations on Monday, fines were imposed, several illegal brick kilns were shut down, large quantities of raw bricks were destroyed, banned polythene was seized, and electricity, gas, and water connections of polluting industrial units were disconnected.
In the capital, mobile courts were conducted at Shantinagar intersection, Ramna, Rampura, and Merul Badda under the leadership of Sidhartha Shankar Kundu, Deputy Secretary to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Executive Magistrate.
For causing air pollution by dumping construction materials on open roads, three cases were filed under the Air Pollution (Control) Rules, 2022, and fines amounting to Tk50,000 were realised.
Seven companies and house owners were instructed to immediately remove construction materials from the roads.
An enforcement drive was carried out at Sriramkathi Bazar in Nazirpur upazila of Pirojpur to curb the use of banned polythene.
A clinic in Pirojpur Sadar upazila was fined Tk6,000 for violating the Medical Waste Management Rules.
In Sunamganj Sadar upazila, action against an illegal brick kiln led to a fine of Tk1,00,000 imposed on ARB Bricks. The kiln’s operations were completely shut down.
Large‑scale operations were also carried out in Longadu and Kaptai upazilas of Rangamati district against brick kilns operating in defiance of High Court directives. Approximately 10 lakh raw bricks were destroyed, five kiln chimneys were demolished, electricity connections were disconnected, timber was seized, and multiple cases are in process.
In Hatibandha upazila of Lalmonirhat, two brick kilns were inspected. One kiln was fined Tk10,000, while another had its chimney demolished, electricity disconnected, and raw bricks destroyed.
Meanwhile, in Narsingdi, utility connections of three dyeing factories and one battery factory operating without environmental clearance and effluent treatment plants were disconnected. A poultry farm was exempted from disconnection due to an existing legal stay order.
In Bheramara upazila of Kushtia, an illegal brick kiln was declared shut and approximately 5,00,000 raw bricks were destroyed.
The Department of Environment said such enforcement drives against illegal brick kilns, polluting establishments, and violations of environmental laws will continue regularly to protect the environment and public health.
