Owners of illegal brick kilns set on Tazing Dong, the country’s highest peak located in remote Thanchi upazila in Bandarban, are rampantly cutting down trees of hill for using firewood in their brick kilns.
Local said that brick kilns’ owners are cutting down trees without considering the environmental impact. In this backdrop, the Department of Environment (DoE) has become active against the illegal act.
In the latest move of the DoE, a former upazila chairman was awarded 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for setting up an illegal brick kiln on the Tazing Dong. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Abdul Al Mamun delivered the verdict on Tuesday night. The court also fined him Tk 17 lakh.
The convict is Abdul Kuddus, BNP-backed former chairman of Bandarban Sadar Upazila Parishad. He is owner of a brick kiln located at Thanchi upazila. Samiul Islam, chemist of Department of Environment (DoE) in Bandarban, confirmed the matter.
According to him, special magistrate of environment court carried out a raid on Tazing Dong against illegal brick kilns at Pratapara area under Thanchi upazila in the evening on Tuesday. Later, the magistrate from Bandarban town at night pronounced the verdict against Abdul Kuddus.
The court, however, did not deliver verdict against some other owners of brick kilns who are also allegedly violating the law. Jihan, wife of Abdul Kuddus’s son Mizanur Rahman, said that her father-in-law is innocent. He was not involved in setting up illegal brick kiln.
Lutfur Rahman Ujjol, another son of the convict, said that they will appeal against the verdict after receiving the certified copy of the verdict. The kiln broke four clauses of Brick Manufacturing and Brick Kiln control Act and five clauses of Environment Conservation Act. Later, the Magistrate sentenced the owner of the kiln Abdul Kuddus, former UP Chairman in the Environment Court. However, the court has yet to sentence the other accused of this case.
The locals said the kiln on Tazing Dong is burning bricks by setting a drum chimney. The owners are cutting down trees on the hill for firewood and the hill for soil to make bricks. They said that the illegal brick kilns and the cutting down of trees must be stopped on Tazing Dong to save the hill and the environment.
DoE officials informed that, they fined the illegal kiln twice before and ordered to shut it down but, the owners defied them. On the other hand, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Thanchi Ariful Haque Mridul fined Thanchi Headmarar Kiln for violating law.