The brick kiln owners in Chatmohar upazila of Pabna district have become frustrated and apprehensive about running their business as coal prices have doubled. Buying coal at double price and burning bricks is likely to increase production cost. If they want to run their business in this situation, they will have no other option but to increase the price of bricks.
It is learned that in the last few years, several eco-friendly brick kilns have been set up in Bousha Ghat, Mahajer Para, Dhulauri, Railbazar, Maheshpur and Ramchandrapur areas of Charsengram area of Chatmohar. These brick kilns usually buy soil from late September and prepare raw bricks in early October. The work of making and burning bricks goes on simultaneously from the beginning of November to the month of March. After meeting the demand of the area every season, the brick kiln owners of Chatmohar sell bricks to the buyers of the neighboring upazilas. Last season, bricks made at these kilns were sold at tk 8,000 to tk 6,500.
The price of bricks is expected to rise at the beginning of this season due to increase in coal prices. Although brick kilns have started burning in one or two brick kilns, many brick kiln owners have not been able to go into production till now. In addition, due to light rain on Saturday and Sunday (November 13 and 14), the work of making raw bricks is stopped. As a result, it is becoming too late for the brick kiln owners to go into production.
Abdul Momin of Chhota Shalikha Mahalla of Chatmohar Municipal Headquarters said, “I made the roof of the house a few months ago. I could not build the walls financially. In this situation, if the price of bricks increases due to the increase in the price of coal, the construction cost of the house will increase.”
Zayed Ali Ratan, owner of Haji Brick Field in Charsengram area of Chatmohar's Bilchalan Union, said the price of coal was Tk 9,000 to 10,000 per ton at that time last year. This time at the beginning of the season they have to buy coal at 20 to 22 thousand rupees per ton. The price per ton has increased by about ten thousand Tk. If the price of coal does not go down, it will be difficult to run a brick kiln. If kiln owners buy coal at increased prices and burn bricks, they cannot but sell bricks at higher prices.
Coal traders said that coal has to be imported from abroad. They have to buy coal at higher prices so they are forced to sell at higher prices.