In Mirzapur of Tangail, red soil cutting is not stopping in any way. However, due to the surveillance of the local administration, the soil traders chose the darkness of the night instead of the day for this work. These hill lands and mounds are being cut illegally with veku (excavator) at night. These soils are going to the brick kiln. The red clay is placed in the brick kiln in 'hills'.
The Environment Protection Act provides for non-cutting of hills and dunes. Violators are punishable with imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine of Tk 10 lakh. However, regardless of these laws, the red clay hill cutting festival is going on freely.
According to the information of brick kiln owners association, there are 105 brick kilns in Mirzapur upazila. At present the season of brick burning has started. Brick kiln owners have entered into a competition to collect soil.
Locals said that in the last few years, hundreds of hills have been cut and turned into plains.
It has been seen on the ground that hills and crop lands are being cut and taken away with Vekku machines at different points of Azgana, Basantoil, Gogai, Fatepur and municipalities of the upazila.
Locals complain that all year round these Matikhekos continue their business of selling illegal soil. Hill dwellers, crop land owners and agricultural laborers have become disoriented due to Matikhekoda oppression.
If the locals complain, they have to face the pressure of the influential. When asked about the permission to cut the soil of the crop land from the soil traders at various spots, they could not show the permission paper.
Mia Mahmudul Haque, deputy director of the Tangail district office of the Department of Environment, said that under the law, the red soil and hills of the hills cannot be cut and the land class cannot be changed.
