End the brick kiln menace in the hills

The continuing operation of illegal brick kilns in Bandarban, despite a clear High Court directive and repeated enforcement drives, is deeply concerning. According to a report in this daily, kiln furnaces flare back to life as soon as inspection teams leave. This reveals how deeply entrenched this menace has become, while also showing that sporadic crackdowns, however well intentioned, are failing to deter violators.

Brick kilns are entirely prohibited in the hill districts as per the HC directive, yet a total of 70 kilns reportedly operate in Bandarban. The Department of Environment and the district administration have conducted mobile court drives, imposing fines, filing cases, and demolishing several illegal kilns. However, due to manpower shortages and dependence on multiple agencies to organise drives, continuous monitoring has not been possible. Moreover, according to locals, new kilns are being constructed by cutting hills and burning forest wood as fuel. Such illegal practices are accelerating deforestation and ecological degradation in one of the country's most environmentally sensitive regions. Alarmingly, some kiln operators have even attempted to attack government inspection teams, openly challenging the authority of the state.

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The suffering of the local communities is also immense. In Thanchi, for instance, an illegal kiln has been found operating close to schools, government offices, a Buddhist temple, and an indigenous village. Students have complained of smoke entering classrooms and dust disrupting lessons, while residents say daily life has become unbearable. That similar complaints raised a decade ago went unheeded speaks volumes about institutional neglect, particularly towards indigenous and hill communities.

What is at stake here is more than environmental compliance. Hill cutting, forest destruction, and unregulated emissions threaten biodiversity, public health, and social harmony in the Chattogram Hill Tracts. Allowing illegal kilns to operate with impunity sends a dangerous message that laws and court directives can be ignored with little consequence.

The government, therefore, must move beyond reactive drives and adopt a permanent, coordinated enforcement mechanism in Bandarban and other hill districts. Kilns that restart after closure must face immediate sealing, confiscation of equipment, and criminal prosecution of owners. Adequate manpower and logistical support for enforcement agencies are essential, as is accountability for local-level inaction. Environmentally sensitive regions like the hills must be strictly protected from such destructive industries at all costs. Finally, the government must accelerate the transition from traditional brick kilns to environmentally friendly construction alternatives. Otherwise, illegal brick kilns will continue to undermine the environment and public health.