May 07 (V7N )-The Department of Environment (DoE) conducted a mobile court drive against illegal brick kilns in Kaliganj upazila of Lalmonirhat on Wednesday, fining two establishments a total of Tk 7 lakh and ordering their closure.  

According to officials, M/s GA Bricks was fined Tk 5 lakh, while M/s SA Bricks was fined Tk 2 lakh for violating the Brick Manufacturing and Kiln Establishment (Control) Act, 2013, amended in 2019.  

During the operation, authorities demolished the kilns and instructed the owners to immediately cease operations. The mobile court was led by Kishore Kumar Das, Executive Magistrate of the Monitoring and Enforcement Wing of the DoE headquarters. District Office Inspector Md. Golam Asif Rahman acted as prosecutor, while Assistant Director Bijon Kumar Roy was also present.  

Officials said similar drives will continue across the country to curb environmental pollution and enforce environmental laws. Brick kilns are a major source of air pollution in Bangladesh, contributing to harmful emissions and environmental degradation.  

END/WD/RH