The minister said, increasing the use of eco-friendly construction materials is essential to protect fertile agricultural soil, reduce air pollution and carbon emissions, and establish sustainable construction systems. All relevant ministries, government engineering departments, manufacturing enterprises and other stakeholders must work together while maintaining a balance between environmental protection and the practical needs of the construction sector.
Today (16 August), two separate meetings were held in the meeting room of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on increasing the use of eco-friendly construction materials, reviewing the progress of block usage in government construction works, and matters related to the brick industry.
At the meeting, special guest Dr. Md. Saimum Parvez, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said the Prime Minister is in favor of increasing investment while protecting the environment. Hence, brick kiln owners must adopt eco-friendly technologies at the earliest.
The first meeting reviewed the progress of ensuring the use of eco-friendly blocks in government construction, repair and renovation works. Representatives of various ministries and departments, government engineering departments, the Department of Environment, the Housing and Building Research Institute, the Bangladesh Concrete Block Manufacturers Owners Association and other relevant stakeholders participated in it.
Proposals were reviewed to rationalize customs duties and taxes on imports of raw materials, reduce VAT at the production stage, provide rebates on VAT paid for purchasing raw materials, and offer incentives for recycling industrial and construction waste to increase the production and use of eco-friendly blocks. Emphasis was given to discussions with the National Board of Revenue on these matters.
The meeting discussed involving the Housing and Building Research Institute as well as the Public Works Department and other government engineering departments in quality control and monitoring activities to ensure the quality of blocks, and providing necessary training to engineers, technicians and masons.
In the second meeting of the day, an exchange of views was held with representatives of the Bangladesh Bricks Manufacturing Owners Association and the Bangladesh Auto Brick Manufacturers Association on various issues related to the brick industry. The meeting discussed the existing problems of the brick industry, compliance with environmental standards and laws, use of raw materials and fuel, and various aspects of transition to more eco-friendly and modern production systems.
The meeting called for cooperation from all concerned in reducing the environmental impact of conventional brick kilns, taking legal action against illegal brick kilns, discouraging the use of topsoil of agricultural land in brick production, and expanding the production of modern technology-based automatic bricks and eco-friendly blocks to control pollution. Representatives of the brick industry presented their opinions and proposals regarding the sector's problems, prospects and necessary policy support.
The meeting was chaired by Dr. Farhida Khanam, Secretary-in-Charge of the ministry. Additional Secretary of the Climate Change Division Mohammad Navid Shafiullah along with concerned officials, and representatives of the Bangladesh Concrete Block Manufacturers Owners Association, the Bangladesh Bricks Manufacturing Owners Association and the Bangladesh Auto Brick Manufacturers Association were present at the meeting.
