SM Sahidul Islam, Satkhira

The task force has raided a wood-burning coal factory in Satkhira. The raid was conducted on Wednesday  evening.The task force, comprising BGB, Department of Environment officials, executive magistrates, Ansar and fire service, participated in the raid on the environmentally polluting establishment.Satkhira Battalion (33 BGB) Commander Lt. Col. Md. Ashraful Haque said that under his overall direction, a raid was conducted at a place called Helatla under Kalaroa police station where wood-burning coal was being produced, polluting the environment.He further said that the task force raid was conducted based on information that unscrupulous businessmen were destroying the environment by burning wood and producing coal.Executive Magistrate Pranoy Biswas and 3 others were present in the operation, 15 BGB members were present along with Assistant Director of Satkhira Battalion (33 BGB) Beg Abdullah Al Masum on behalf of BGB, 3 others were present along with Assistant Director of Environment Department Sardar Shariful Islam, 6 members of Fire Service and 6 Ansar members were present.During the operation, the task force team fined Md. Abul Bashar, who was burning wood to make coal, for violating environmental pollution and environmental laws under Section 15 of the Bangladesh Environment Protection Act 1995 as amended in 2010.In addition, a large amount of wood for making coal was found during the operation. At that time, the task force team seized 7500 maunds of wood for making coal in violation of the environment law. The value of which is three lakh taka.The total value of the seized 7500 maunds of wood and fines in the task force operation is 33 lakh taka.At this time, the Executive Magistrate, through a mobile court, sentenced Md. Sajib Ahmed (24), son of Md. Abul Bashar, of Amadi village, Koyra upazila, Khulna district, to 03 months imprisonment for environmental pollution and violation of environmental laws.