Nahid Zaman, Rupsha (Khulna)

The Khulna District Branch of the Khulna Brick Manufacturers' Association, Workers' Union and affiliated organizations organized a protest rally, human chain and submitted a memorandum to the Khulna District Commissioner in protest of the sudden brick kiln closure.

The leaders of the Brick Manufacturers' Association and Workers' Union held a protest rally, human chain and submitted a memorandum to the Khulna Deputy Commissioner on Thursday morning on various important roads of Khulna metropolis and submitted a memorandum to the Khulna District Commissioner Md. Saiful Islam in the afternoon.

The rally was presided over by Shahjahan Jamaddar, President of the Khulna District Branch of the Bangladesh Brick Manufacturers' Association. At this time, the owners' association's advisor Idris Ahmed Jamaddar, general secretary Sheikh Abdus Sattar, joint general secretary Shamim Ahmed Jamaddar, kiln owners Molla Bashir Ahmed, Molla Enamul Kabir, Md. Shamim Ahmed Sardar, labor leader Nasir Fakir, Babu Sheikh and many others spoke. The leaders said at this time, the brick kiln owners in the country have been running the brick kiln business for the past 35/40 years despite many adversities.

With these bricks, they have been continuing the development trend by supplying bricks used in the construction of roads, houses and other infrastructure of the country. Moreover, keeping in line with the development of the country, we brick kiln owners have been using energy-efficient, environment-friendly technology by installing kilns with modern technology as directed by the government to prevent air pollution. Due to which only 5 to 10% of the country's brick kilns are polluting the air.

Moreover, it has been possible to reduce environmental pollution by using more advanced technology in the existing zigzag kiln. Currently, about 50 lakh workers are working in this industry. They provide a livelihood for about 20 million people. Therefore, if the brick kilns are closed at this moment, everyone will become unemployed. Moreover, there are bank loans of over 1 crore taka against each brick kiln. As a result, if the kilns are closed at this moment, about 8 thousand crore taka will remain unpaid in the bank.

Due to which, when the brick burning season ends in 2025, a high-level committee is formed at the government level and a new policy is formulated in coordination with the brick kiln owners' association. In addition, if the brick kilns are closed, millions of worker families will be on the streets.

The law and order situation in the country will collapse. Civil society thinkers fear that various criminal activities including murder, disappearances, murder, theft, and robbery will increase.