Three unlicensed auto brick factories in Chakaria.
To establish an industry, besides registration with the Department of Factories and Establishments Inspection, one has to obtain a trade license. Besides this, one has to obtain a clearance certificate from the Department of Environment and a certificate from the Fire Service.
Three auto brick factories were established without completing any of those in Chakaria, Cox’s Bazar. The factories are – Mastermind Auto Bricks and Ceramics Industry, Tarchpara on the banks of the Matamuhuri River in Ward No. 1 of Chakaria Municipality, LHB Auto Block Center, Batakhali and Ma-Babaar Doa Holo Block Factory, Chauarphadi, Saharbil.
It is alleged that none of them has government sanction, yet their operations have been going on for a year. Only two factories have fire certificates; the remaining one does not have either. No initiative to avoid health and safety risks to workers in the factories. The factory activities in that area are probably being carried out without the supervision of the administration and relevant departments. Recently, two teenage workers lost their lives after they got stuck in a mixing machine while working at a brick factory. Even then, the administration or any of the concerned departments did not budge.
Recently, owing to the prayers of Chowarphadi parents, a block factory caught fire and its office was reduced to ashes. Earlier on the night of December 18, two adolescent workers-Shahadat Hossain Shaheen, 16, and Kamranul Islam Jihan, 17 years old-died when an electric line came on while cleaning the mixing machine for making brick blocks at Mastermind Auto Bricks Factory in Tarchpara of the municipality. Sources at the Cox’s Bazar office of the Department of Environment said that a team from the Department of Environment inspected LHB Auto Block Center in Batakhali on 31 October and found out the truth about noise pollution. Since the department did not have a clearance certificate, Deputy Director of the Cox’s Bazar Department of Environment Zamir Uddin sent a letter for the closure of the factory to its owner.
The fact that factories – Mastermind Auto Bricks and Ceramics Industry, LHB Auto Block Center, Ma-Bababar Doa Holo Block Factory are producing without licenses from concerned departments, is readily observable. It was also seen on the spot that the location of Mastermind Auto Bricks and Ceramics Industry in Tarchpara of Chakaria Municipality is on the banks of the Matamuhuri River. Four types of blocks, logo bricks, solid bricks, and uni paver bricks and blocks are made there. Several lakhs of bricks and blocks produced have been stored inside and outside the factory. The factory has been closed since two child workers were killed in this establishment on December 18. “All these days, the noise and dust from the factory have made our area inhabitable,” said Siddiq Ahmed, Mansur Alam, and other residents of Tarchpara. “Locals several times urged the administration to protect them from this pollution. Already two child laborers have been killed while working there.”. Even then, their activities are continuing.
Manager of Mastermind Auto Bricks and Ceramics Industry Jamal Hossain told Daily Azadi that there is no document relating to the factory here. But if you meet the owner who is in his personal office, you will know the details. Owner of the industry Engineer Kafil Uddin said, we have opened a company to open the factory. He added: “The two workers who died died by the command of Allah. We have all kinds of documents. However, when asked to see the licenses, environmental clearances and trade licenses of the Department of Inspection of Factories and Establishments, he expressed his inability to show them.”.
In this regard, Kamal Hossain, license inspector of Chakaria Municipality, said that a person from the company applied for a trade license in the name of Mastermind Auto Bricks and Ceramics Industry. The trade license was not given due to the lack of the documents and conditions required for setting up the factory. If these conditions are met, licenses will be issued.
According to Doiarul Haque, Warehouse inspector-in charge, Chakoria Fire Service and Civil Defense, “A few days ago, a fire certificate has been provided for Mastermind Auto Bricks”. There blocks have been made from stone, sand and cement there basically. Fire Service Chakaria Station Officer Selim Uddin said, “Parents’ prayers-the fire service personnel went there, bringing it under control in case of a fire breakout in the office of the block factory.” But there was no significant damage as the company had a fire extinguishing system. An electric short circuit in the factory caused the fire.
According to Chakaria-based Deputy Director of Environment Department in Cox’s Bazar Jamir Uddin, no environmental clearance certificate was issued to any auto brick in Chakaria. “LHB Auto Block Center was ordered for shutting down the company after inspection along with knowing the fact about noise pollution, and in a similar manner, remaining all the illegal institutions will be brought under inspections followed by taking necessary legal action accordingly,” he adds.
Shah Mofakhkharul Islam, Deputy Inspector General of the Cox’s Bazar office of the Department of Inspection of Factories and Establishments, said, “The factories making auto bricks or blocks have not taken any approval from this department. They do not have any licenses in their name. Although there is a rule to inform us if an accident occurs in a factory, the institutions have not done so. Necessary action will be taken in this regard.”
Chakaria Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Atiqur Rahman said, “There are three auto bricks factories in the upazila. A drive will be conducted in these factories without approval along with officials from the Department of Environment and related departments.”.
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