CRIME syndicates of land-grabbers coupled with a group of local influential people including some ruling party men have been forcefully stripping away topsoil from vast areas of arable land along the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar Satkania Highway. The looted top-soil is being sold to nearby and distant brickkilns as a raw material for producing bricks. Whenever the victimized land owners protested they were either threatened with death or beaten up. Sometimes only a handful of them were given nominal payment in compensation.
Nevertheless, the entire misconduct is happening under the very nose of the administration. It needs to be mentioned that the country’s Brick Manufacturing and BrickkKilns Establishment (Control) Act 2013 clearly specifies that “no person or establishment shall use the soil as raw material in brick manufacturing, after cutting or collecting it from agricultural land, hill or hillock.” Sadly, it appears, there is none to oversee the implementation of the law.
Given the increasing number of buildings and newer habitation in the country the demand for bricks has shot up. On one hand bricks manufacturing has skyrocketed while on the other thousands of acres of cultivable land is vanishing and turning into mere barren vast expanses.
One of the victims of topsoil looting is reported to have filed a case with Satkania Police Station against eight people, including the joint secretary of Chattogram south district unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League. Police, however, did not take any action. The criminals are now threatening the victim to withdraw the case. We draw immediate attention of the law enforcers to address the issue. This extreme state of lawlessness must end.
When it comes to area specifics, Satkania is an area with fertile land and the land of the upazila is famous for huge amounts of vegetable yields, therefore the land value for agriculture is immense. Against the backdrop of topsoil looting regular growing and supply of vegetables are being hugely impeded.
Currently some 95 percent of the country’s brickfields are using highly polluting conventional fixed chimney kilns, as they require low capital and have high investment returns. These brickkilns are not only destroying topsoil but also polluting the environment everywhere. Government should not allow it to continue.
