HC asks govt to remove illegal brick kilns in four districts

The High Court on Monday directed the government to stop operations of all illegal brick kilns in four districts -- Bogura, Tangail, Lalmonirhat, and Thakurgaon, reports news agency UNB.

The HC bench of justice Md. Ashfaqul Islam and justice Md. Shohrowardi came up with the order following a writ petition.

It directed the Department of Environment (DoE) to implement this order and submit a report within the next seven days.

Besides, it has asked to make a complete list of all illegal brick kilns in the country and submit the list within the next two weeks, said Manzil Morshed, president of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB).

The court also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain in four weeks why their inaction to shut down the illegal brick kilns in four districts under the Brick Kilns Control Act, 2013 should not be declared illegal.

Despite the existence of provisions like no brick kiln can be set up without a license, they continue to proliferate throughout the country.

The writ was filed on 6 November following a report published in a daily newspaper in this regard.