KUSHTIA. Feb I Rampant use of firewood despite gov ernment ban In the brickfields of the district is going on unabated hastening the process of deforestation.

Brickfield owners are using trees as fuel despite availability of coal in the depots, local people alleged.

Besides bamboos are also being used as fuel for burning bricks In all the 580 brickfields while age-old pine trees, mango and other fruit bearing trees are being felled down

Dats trees, on the other hand are being chopped down indiscriminately to feed the brickfields affecting produc lion of molasses, they added

Meanwhile, the environmentalists have expressed grave concern over the In creasing felling of trees which is affecting the ecological bal ance in the district

The government In July 1989 imposed ban orf using firewood in brickfields to curb deforestation all over the country

Local people urged the authorities to take proper action against the brickfield owners for violating government order without further delay.

Meanwhile, district administration has conducted a raid in 8 brickfields In the district and confiscated huge quantity of fuel wood which the brickfield owners were using for burning bricks in stead of coal. Use of fuel wood In brickfield was banned by government in 1989 in order to save environment hazards caused by Indiscriminate felling of trees for the purpose of selling them to the brickfield owners.

The raid conducted under the command of Magistrate Shafique Anwar and Magistrate Mahbub Alam and recovered 8 thousand maunds of fuel wood, confiscated fhem and seven thousand 2 hundred inaunds disposed off in open auction In Sadar thana

It may be mentioned that this is the first time such raids have been conducted against use of fuel wood in brickfield.