Pabna, Mar 15 (V7N) – Local residents formed a human chain and staged a protest in Ishwardi upazila of Pabna on Sunday, alleging severe environmental pollution caused by smoke and ash from a rice mill.

The protest was held around 12:30 pm at Velupara against Messrs Biswas Auto Rice Mill, where demonstrators demanded immediate intervention by the administration to address the environmental damage.

According to locals, the rice mill owned by Jillu Biswas in the Baraichara area of Salimpur Union has long been burning straw and chaff during rice processing, producing thick black smoke and ash that spread to nearby houses and roads.

Residents said the ash often enters homes and spoils cooked food, while piles of ash dumped along the roadside are blown into the air by wind, causing serious discomfort to pedestrians and commuters.

Passengers and drivers travelling on the Ishwardi–Kushtia road also complained that ash frequently enters their eyes, creating risks for drivers and forcing many people to seek treatment at local eye hospitals.

Locals said they recently approached the mill authorities to address the issue, but tensions arose when the mill owner accused them of attempting extortion. Protesters rejected the allegation, calling it false and baseless.

Mamun Mondal, a local resident and nephew of the area’s Member of Parliament Professor Abu Taleb Mondal, said he accompanied residents to speak with the mill authorities about the pollution problem but was later falsely accused of extortion after an argument broke out.

However, mill owner Jillu Biswas denied the allegations, saying the mill has been operating for seven years without any complaints about smoke or ash emissions. He also claimed that wastewater from the mill is discharged on their own land and that some drainage arrangements were made with neighbouring landowners.

Biswas further alleged that Mamun Mondal and his associates assaulted his brother during the dispute and later organised the human chain by misleading local residents.

Abdul Gafur, Deputy Director of the Pabna District Environment Department, said no factory is allowed to dump ash or release pollutants that harm the environment.

He said the authorities would investigate the matter and take strict action if evidence of environmental violations is found.

Caption: Residents form a human chain protesting pollution from a rice mill, with piles of ash visible beside the facility in Ishwardi, Pabna on Sunday.

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