Everywhere in Bangladesh, one can see them. The long chimneys along the rivers, in the countryside, surrounding the cities, puffing grey smoke. Especially the surrounding of the big cities. The workers with low wages and without any dignity make millions of bricks.

As the environment is concerned Bangladesh has to pay the price with its more than 160 million populace. Bangladesh is on high economic growth and witnessing rapid urbanization. There is a huge demand for housing where brick is a raw material, Which has led brick making, a150 age-old tradition, has been thriving in recent times.

Bangladesh’s government reported the rise of brick kilns from 4,985 to 7,900. The environmentalists claim a much higher number estimated around 10,000 than what the government quoted. Dhaka’s air pollution is the worst in the world. The local newspaper Daily Star reported, ‘‘Brick kilns were identified as the single largest source of air pollution in Dhaka city, with 50 percent of the total pollution coming from them.” Around 2,087 of the brick kilns are in operation around the city. But environmentalists claim the number is around 5000 are located in and around Dhaka.

Most of the brick kilns are in the agricultural land without environmental clearance damage farm productivity and use coal and old tires as fuel. It spews poisonous and contaminated vapor of suspended particulate matters of carbon particles and other chemicals—extremely health hazards and damaging to the environment. Also, a notable percentage of the country’s wood is used for burning bricks every year causes deforestation impacting environmental and ecological balance.