Sources in the district administration said a mobile court lead by Magistrate Md Safiul Arif during a surprise visit to the illegal brick fields found huge stacks of firewood on their yards and their chimneys were 25-30 feet in height against 120 feet, mandated by the Department of Environment (DoE).

The magistrate closed operation of the brick fields. Their owners escaped seeing the mobile court. Two cases have been filed.

Magistrate Safiul Arif told this correspondent that the Deputy Commissioner ordered him to take action against illegal brick fields after the Daily Star published a news February 8 on environmental damage by those.

Over 30 brick fields in Khagrachhari burn about 1.5 crore mounds of firewood in a season, the Star reported earlier. Most of these have no licence and are operating without caring for rules, which is depleting forest resources in the hill district.