Nazrul Rajbari Correspondent : The Environment Court has mandated an inquiry following reports in various national and local newspapers about the unlawful construction of brick kilns on agricultural land in the Nalia region of Baliakandi upazila, Rajbari. On Wednesday, May 14, Md. Mohsin Hasan, the Senior Judicial Magistrate and Special Magistrate overseeing the Environment Court, issued this directive after the media reports were published.

The court noted that if the allegations in the newspapers are accurate, it constitutes a breach of sub-section (1) of section 8 of the ‘Brick Manufacturing and Kiln Establishment (Control) Act, 2013.’ This violation is punishable by a maximum of five years in prison, a fine of up to five lakh taka, or both, as stipulated in section 18 of the same act. Consequently, the court deemed it necessary to order a comprehensive investigation to ascertain the veracity of the reports and the events described, as well as to recognize the offense under Section 190 (1) (c) of the Crimes Act, 1898.

In light of this, the court instructed the Assistant Director of the Department of Environment at the Rajbari District Office to confirm the accuracy of the reports and provide a detailed report to the court within two weeks, including the identification of those responsible. Md. Harun-ur-Rashid, the Assistant Director of the Department of Environment in Rajbari, confirmed receipt of the court order and stated that the investigation will be prioritized in accordance with the court’s directives.