A mobile court yesterday demolished 20 kilns of an illegal charcoal producing factory in Mirzapur upazila of Tangail.

Executive Magistrate Md Mainul Islam, also assistant commissioner (Land) in Mirzapur, along with police launched the drive at Gaitabetil village under Bashtoil union.

Before the demolition, Fire Service and Civil Defense men doused the fire of the furnaces of the factories by spraying water.

The court also fined factory owner Mozibor Rahman Tk 95000.

Some influential people produce charcoal by burning logs illegally, harming the environment and causing health hazards for locals as the kilns emit black smoke, locals said.

Logs, allegedly stolen from the forests in Mirzapur are burnt in the illegal charcoal factories, they alleged.

"Earlier, we demolished 58 kilns of illegal charcoal factories at different places in the upazila. We will continue drives to remove all illegal charcoal factories in the upazila," Magistrate Mainul told this correspondent.