Unlicensed brick-fields, using wood for burning bricks, are damaging crops, farmers have complained.

On the other hand, brick-field owners said they have to use woods for burning bricks.

It is learnt that owners of most of the brick kilns in six upazilas of Shariatpur district have been running their business without valid licences for a long time. There are 52 brickfields in the district and most of them have no licence or environmental certificate. The owners of these brick kilns use firewood for burning bricks, ignoring environmental rules, under the very nose of law enforcers.

Besides, they have set up brick kilns illegally in residential areas and on agricultural lands. This is causing serious health hazards, damaging crops and polluting the environment. It is alleged that the owners are felling fruit-bearing and medicinal trees to procure firewood for burning bricks.

Some brick-fields at Haturia village in Gosairhat upazila, Berachaki and Char Sensus in Bhedarganj upazila, Kartikpur in Naria upazila, Kazirhat area in Jajira upazila and Radhakrishna brickfields at Samontosar in Gosairhat upazila have been set up on agricultural lands and do not have the approved 120-foot fixed kilns.

The brickfields have damaged crops, some local farmers said. One Titu Dalal of Charpayatali village in Bhedarganj upazila has filed a case against a brick-field as it has damaged crops. The court ordered that the brick-field stop work, but the owner is continuing with brick-burning activities.

Anower Bala, Mohsin Miah and Shahid Dhali of Haturia village in Gosairhat upazila said after bricks kilns were set up in their village, they did not get sufficient amounts of crops.

Md Jobedali, Motaleb Miah, Anower Bala and Siraz Miah, farmers of Berachaki village in Bhedarganj upazila, claimed that they got half the amount of crops from the lands they had cultivated last year because of brick-fields. They have complained to the local administration, but no action has been taken against the illegal brick-fields.

According to Section 5 of the Brick Burning Act, 1989, no licence would be given if a brick-field is set up within three kilometres of a residential area.

The Act also enjoins that the brick-field owners would have to use a 120-foot fixed kiln for burning bricks. But most of the brick-field owners in the district are violating the Act. A brick field named RKB at Samontosar village in Gosairhat upazila and another brick-field at Haturia village in Gosairhat upazila of the district burn bricks in 20 to 25-foot kilns made of tin. The owners told this correspondent that they will build 120-foot fixed kilns next year.

The brick-kiln owners, in collusion with a section of dishonest officials, are running their business without valid licences.

While visiting some brick-fields at Haturia village in Gosairhat upazila, Atong, Monohar bazar, Kotapara villages in Sadar upazila and Berachaki, Narsinghpur in Bhedarganj upazila, Kazirhat and Bilashpur in Janjira upazila of the district, this correspondent saw firewood stockpiled in front of the brick-fields to be used for burning raw bricks.

According to sources in the district administration, there are 52 brick-fields in six upazilas of the district. Most of them have no valid licence. These illegal brick-field owners are yet to submit any application to the district administration for licences even after being in the business for 15 to 20 years.

Prof. M A Aziz Miah of Dhanuka village in Shariatpur town, a noted environmentalist, told this correspondent that at least 25 per cent of forest resources was needed for maintenance of the environment. But use of wood in the brick-fields has decreased it to 8 to 10 per cent on an average in the district, he said.

Jiten Chandra Das, Professor of Chemistry in the M A Reza Government Degree College, said carbon monoxide, chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) and sulphur dioxide created by burning bricks are toxic and dangerous for the environment and even for human life.

Deputy commissioner (DC) of Shariatpur, Md. Mahmudul Hossain Khan, told journalists that the district administration would take steps against unlicensed brick-fields if these are found guilty after an inquiry.