Amar Chand Gupta Apu, Dinajpur (South) :
Several hundred Brickfields operators of northern Bangladesh are yet to on their stoves for baking the bricks just for shortage of coal and they have compelled to shorten their raw brick burning duration, the brickfield operators told newsmen. .
Usually the operators set fire to stoves from November to December 15 which last up to April next year.
‘With the start of Boishakh month of Bangla calendar, we can’t continue it for adverse weather’, said Chanchal Sengupta, Manager of RNB Brickfield of Bohola village under Biral Upazila of Dinajpur.
Its uncertain to set fire the stove just for shortage of coal. According to the department of Environment office in Bogra and Rangpur there are area around 1340 brickfields in 16 northern districts. And the brickfields completely depended on the coal of Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Ltd [BCMCL] and imported coal of India.
But the BCMCL authority is avoiding selling coal to brickfield operators across the country as the coal production of the mine remained suspended for five months. The BCMCL authority has stopped coal production on May for sudden water surge in underground.
In May, there was 5 lakhs tonnes of coal at the coal yard. But it consumed by the 250MW power plant. The coal fired power plant consume around 2,000 metric tonnes of coal daily.
However, the coal production resume on November 13.
BCMCL official said the mine has been producing more than 4,500 metric tonnes of coal daily since 23 November.
Talking to The New Nation, Md. Aminuzzaman, Managing Director, Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Ltd said, the coalmine started its production after a long breakthrough. And the mine has obligation to ensure smooth coal supply to power plant.
‘We are now raising our coal stock. After stocking 1.5 lakhs tonnes of coal, we start selling coal to brickfield operators’, said the managing director.
Its needed nearly 2 months at least, he said.
On the other hand, the situation turned more terrible for brickfield operators as the neighbouring India also stopped exporting coal to Bangladesh on plea of coal shortage, said the brickfield operators.
Brickfield operators said the result of the delay will affect the construction work in next season.
During a visit to the brickfields of Sadar Upazila of Dinajpur, Biral, Chirirbandar and Nawabganj Upazila it found that the brickfield operators completed all their tasks to start their season, but they yet could not done it just for shortage of coal.
Rafiqul Islam President of Dinajpur Brickfields Owners’ Association said, they would face an unexpected losses if the coal supply not resume within 10 to 15 days. Otherwise they would switch to alternative, that is, burning logs would make the environment polluted, he said.
Avijit Basak, an owner of a brickfield said that the prepared raw bricks, which have already been prepared would be damaged if they are not burnt in time, he said. ‘We incurred losses in last season for sudden rains’ he said.
The managing director BCMCL hinted to raise coal price with the start of coal selling season.
However, BCMCL sources said a government importing coal from Malaysia.
Several hundred Brickfields operators of northern Bangladesh are yet to on their stoves for baking the bricks just for shortage of coal and they have compelled to shorten their raw brick burning duration, the brickfield operators told newsmen. .
Usually the operators set fire to stoves from November to December 15 which last up to April next year.
‘With the start of Boishakh month of Bangla calendar, we can’t continue it for adverse weather’, said Chanchal Sengupta, Manager of RNB Brickfield of Bohola village under Biral Upazila of Dinajpur.
Its uncertain to set fire the stove just for shortage of coal. According to the department of Environment office in Bogra and Rangpur there are area around 1340 brickfields in 16 northern districts. And the brickfields completely depended on the coal of Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Ltd [BCMCL] and imported coal of India.
But the BCMCL authority is avoiding selling coal to brickfield operators across the country as the coal production of the mine remained suspended for five months. The BCMCL authority has stopped coal production on May for sudden water surge in underground.
In May, there was 5 lakhs tonnes of coal at the coal yard. But it consumed by the 250MW power plant. The coal fired power plant consume around 2,000 metric tonnes of coal daily.
However, the coal production resume on November 13.
BCMCL official said the mine has been producing more than 4,500 metric tonnes of coal daily since 23 November.
Talking to The New Nation, Md. Aminuzzaman, Managing Director, Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Ltd said, the coalmine started its production after a long breakthrough. And the mine has obligation to ensure smooth coal supply to power plant.
‘We are now raising our coal stock. After stocking 1.5 lakhs tonnes of coal, we start selling coal to brickfield operators’, said the managing director.
Its needed nearly 2 months at least, he said.
On the other hand, the situation turned more terrible for brickfield operators as the neighbouring India also stopped exporting coal to Bangladesh on plea of coal shortage, said the brickfield operators.
Brickfield operators said the result of the delay will affect the construction work in next season.
During a visit to the brickfields of Sadar Upazila of Dinajpur, Biral, Chirirbandar and Nawabganj Upazila it found that the brickfield operators completed all their tasks to start their season, but they yet could not done it just for shortage of coal.
Rafiqul Islam President of Dinajpur Brickfields Owners’ Association said, they would face an unexpected losses if the coal supply not resume within 10 to 15 days. Otherwise they would switch to alternative, that is, burning logs would make the environment polluted, he said.
Avijit Basak, an owner of a brickfield said that the prepared raw bricks, which have already been prepared would be damaged if they are not burnt in time, he said. ‘We incurred losses in last season for sudden rains’ he said.
The managing director BCMCL hinted to raise coal price with the start of coal selling season.
However, BCMCL sources said a government importing coal from Malaysia.
