UNB, Chandpur :
Drastic fall in supply of coal is causing serious impediment to production activities of the brick kilns in Chandpur district pushing many of them almost into the jaws of shutdown.
Due to the coal supply shortage, a good number of brick kilns in the district cannot fire their kilns in the ongoing peak season. Raw bricks lie stacked in the brickfields with the owners counting heavy losses every day.
Consequently, with no works in hand, the workers are passing idle time as well, although amid a severe hardship. According to the District Brick Manufacturers’ Association, there are 123 brickfields in eight upazilas of the district.
For severe scarcity of coal, most brickfields are presently facing disruption in manufacturing bricks, throwing several thousand workers out of jobs.
Having no regular wages under the present circumstances, the workers are facing difficulties in maintaining their families, including their children’s education costs and treatment expenditure.
When contacted, owner of a brickfield told this correspondent, ‘We need urgent supply of coal from Barapukuria coal mine to keep production of bricks smooth.”
There are two types of bricks generally manufactured in this district.
One is of zigzag type, production of which needs coal while the other type is burnt in 120 feet chimney by using firewood.
In the district, bricks are generally produced in the fields from October to April but this year, due to the acute crisis of coal, the manufacturers cannot yet burn any bricks.
Taking advantage of the situation, traders have raised the prices of old bricks forcing the people to count extra money for construction works beyond their budget.
Same is the case with the government and non-government contractors who are implementing projects with bricks.
Now-a-days, bricks are sold at over
Tk10,000 per thousand whereas it was sold at between Tk 6,000 and Tk 7,000 per thousand a few months ago. General Secretary of the District Brick Manufacturers’ Association Shafiqul Islam told this correspondent that for the last several months, many brickfields have kept their production activities stopped for want of coal from India and this has plunged the brick manufacturers and their workers into great problems.
Only 25 per cent brickfields are now in production with their limited stocks of coal. For want of coal, these brickfields will also face closure soon, hinted the general secretary.
The brick manufacturers are counting heavy losses every day, said Bazlur Rahman Skeikh and Sheikh Md Manjurul Kader Sohel, prominent brickfield owners.
Drastic fall in supply of coal is causing serious impediment to production activities of the brick kilns in Chandpur district pushing many of them almost into the jaws of shutdown.
Due to the coal supply shortage, a good number of brick kilns in the district cannot fire their kilns in the ongoing peak season. Raw bricks lie stacked in the brickfields with the owners counting heavy losses every day.
Consequently, with no works in hand, the workers are passing idle time as well, although amid a severe hardship. According to the District Brick Manufacturers’ Association, there are 123 brickfields in eight upazilas of the district.
For severe scarcity of coal, most brickfields are presently facing disruption in manufacturing bricks, throwing several thousand workers out of jobs.
Having no regular wages under the present circumstances, the workers are facing difficulties in maintaining their families, including their children’s education costs and treatment expenditure.
When contacted, owner of a brickfield told this correspondent, ‘We need urgent supply of coal from Barapukuria coal mine to keep production of bricks smooth.”
There are two types of bricks generally manufactured in this district.
One is of zigzag type, production of which needs coal while the other type is burnt in 120 feet chimney by using firewood.
In the district, bricks are generally produced in the fields from October to April but this year, due to the acute crisis of coal, the manufacturers cannot yet burn any bricks.
Taking advantage of the situation, traders have raised the prices of old bricks forcing the people to count extra money for construction works beyond their budget.
Same is the case with the government and non-government contractors who are implementing projects with bricks.
Now-a-days, bricks are sold at over
Tk10,000 per thousand whereas it was sold at between Tk 6,000 and Tk 7,000 per thousand a few months ago. General Secretary of the District Brick Manufacturers’ Association Shafiqul Islam told this correspondent that for the last several months, many brickfields have kept their production activities stopped for want of coal from India and this has plunged the brick manufacturers and their workers into great problems.
Only 25 per cent brickfields are now in production with their limited stocks of coal. For want of coal, these brickfields will also face closure soon, hinted the general secretary.
The brick manufacturers are counting heavy losses every day, said Bazlur Rahman Skeikh and Sheikh Md Manjurul Kader Sohel, prominent brickfield owners.
