The High Court yesterday directed authorities concerned of the government to immediately shut down all the illegal brick kilns in Chattogram and submit a report after complying with the directive by February 18.

During hearing a petition, the court also asked the deputy commissioner of Chattogram and the director of Department of Environment in the district to submit all the documents on fining 71 illegal brick kilns through mobile court drives along with a compliance report.

The HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah fixed February 22 for passing further order on this issue.

The bench came up with the directive following a petition filed, bringing contempt of court charges, against two executive magistrates for not complying with its order over shutting down the illegal brick kilns at Chandanaish and Lohagara upazilas in Chattogram.

Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh filed the petition with the HC on January 20 against executive magistrate of Chandanaish SM Alamgir and executive magistrate of Lohagara Zillur Rahman.

The organisation said the HC, following a petition, on December 14 last year directed the government to take necessary steps to shut the illegal brick kilns in Chattogram in a week to save the environment.

On December 31, Alamgir and on January 18 Rahman fined some illegal brick kilns and gave them two months' time to collect environmental clearance certificates without shutting them down, said the petitioner.

During hearing of the petition on January 26, HRPB counsel Manzill Murshid told the HC that the two have not closed the illegal brick kilns, which is a violation of the HC directive and amounts to contempt of court.

Murshid prayed to the HC to issue a contempt of court rule against the two and issue summons asking them to appear before it to offer their explanation.

The HC bench then fixed January 31 for passing order on the petition.

Yesterday, Murshid said the two executive magistrates sought apology from the court for not complying with its order. The HC then directed them to shut down the illegal brick kilns immediately.

Deputy Attorney General Nawroz MR Chowdhury, who represented the Chattogram DC, and lawyer Syed Kamrul Hossain, who appeared for the DoE, told the HC that the authorities have started shutting down the illegal brick kilns and sought time from the court in this regard.