It is difficult to stay in the classroom

CHT Desk

We the ethnic minority Kheyang people of Gunguru Kheyang Para in Kuhalong Union of Bandarban Sadar Upazila, have been living here for hundreds of years.

Except the Gunguru Kheyang Para people, most of the 3,000 Kheyang community people of Bandarban live in remote hills. That is why there is no government educational institution in Kheyang Para except Gunguru Kheyang Para Government Primary School.

But it is very unfortunate that a brick kiln named ABC has been illegally set up in the premises of Gunguru Para Government Primary School which is in the middle of Gunguru Kheyang Para.

Over the last 12 years, numerous applications, petitions and memorandums have been issued to various government agencies including district and upazila administrations and the environment department to close the brick field.

Human chains were formed more than once. News has been published and disseminated in the media. But for mysterious reasons, no initiative has been taken by the administration and concerned quarters to close or relocate the brick kiln.

Within a few hundred yards of the brick kiln there is a reserve forest.

Memorandum was submitted to the minister of Forest and Environment on 06-12-2011, while applications were sent to the deputy commissioner on 10-01-2013, to the state minister of the ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts affairs  on 14-01-2013, to the director of the Department of Environment of Chittagong on 24-01-2013, to the general secretary of Bangladesh Environmental Movement on 07-02-2016, and Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association on 06-03-2016 and also many more such applications have been submitted in different places. But no action has been taken to stop the brick kiln in these petitions.

In a memorandum sent to the Prime Minister through the Bandarban Deputy Commissioner on 31-12-2017, the residents of Gunguru Kheyang Para mentioned the above information and their problems in this way.

Kaysa Mong Kheyang, an elderly man of Gunguru Para said “Around 20 years ago we saw different wild animals including deer, reptiles, monkey hoolock gibbon, fishing cat, leopard, peacock, wild cock and different birds in Dudhpukuria Dhopachhari wildlife sanctuary which is near to the brick kiln.”

“After the brick kiln set up near the sanctuary in 2005 a huge amount of trees are being cut down from this reserve forest while biodiversity of this sanctuary is being seriously affected”, said Kaysa.

It is very difficult to stay in the classroom due to smoke from the brick kiln, and the noise and dust from the heavy trucks coming there, said several teachers and students of this school.

“We the teachers and local people drew the attention of local administration to stop the adjoining brick kiln several times but no action has been taken yet,” said Mazid Uddin , headmaster of the school.

“We demand stop of the kiln operation immediately”, said the headmaster.

Md Shafiqul Islam, Divisional Forest Officer of Chattogram south division said “We informed district administration about the brick kiln but they didn’t take any action.”

When asked deforestation of reserve forest by the brick kiln Shafiqul denied and said “Trees are never cut down from the sanctuary for the brick kiln.”

Md Lutfur Rahman said Additional District Magistrate (ADM) of Bandarban said “There is no way to set up brick kiln near school or reserve forest.”

“We have to find out the details of the brick kiln and we will take stern action if it is true”, the ADM said.

The Chittagong Hill Tracts News obtained few investigation reports of district administration and environment office of different times which mentioned ABC brick kiln was set up near schools and govt. forest area.

After several times attempt Md Islam, owner of the brick kiln didn’t receive the phone.