Experts at a national convention have called for promoting the use of alternative bricks or blocks in construction work to protect the environment.
Presently, some 95 per cent of the country's brick kilns are still using conventional and energy-intensive technology to produce traditional bricks, causing catastrophic impacts on environment, they said.
They called on the manufacturers of environment-friendly alternative bricks or blocks to maintain the quality of the products to establish credibility among customers so that the alternative bricks can gain popularity.
The directives of the Prime Minister's Office regarding the use of blocks should also be implemented immediately, they added.
The experts made the recommendations at the national convention styled as 'Use of Alternative Bricks for Sustainable Development in Bangladesh' at the Krishibid Institution in the city on Tuesday.
The Oxfam in Bangladesh, the Housing and Building Research Institute (HBRI), the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), and the Jagorani Chakra Foundation (JCF) jointly organised the event.
Dr AKM Rafique Ahammed, director general of the Department of Environment (DoE), spoke as the chief guest while Mohammad Shamim Akhter, Director General of HBRI, and Architect Mobasser Hossain were present as special guests.
Dipankar Datta, Country Director, Oxfam, gave the address of welcome and Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Chief Executive, BELA, read out the declarations of the convention.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Rafique said the brick manufacturers should switch to alternative bricks or blocks to mitigate the environmental damage.
The DoE is trying to enforce the brick manufacturing law and taking action against the violators by realising fines and filing cases with the environment court, he added.
Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and protecting the environment at the same time is a challenging task, the DoE director general said.
Architect Mobasser Hossain said the government should use blocks in its different projects to promote the green product.
If the government uses the blocks in construction work in every district, local brick manufacturers will feel encouraged to produce them, he added.
Terming the use of block as cost-effective, he said the HBRI should work out ways to get an idea about the quality of the alternative bricks or blocks.
Shamim Akhter, director general of HBRI, said the HBRI is trying to convince the government to use the blocks in its construction projects.
The government has also responded positively in this regard, he added.
Md Anisur Rahaman Chowdhury, Urban Manager, Oxfam, presented the outcome of a project titled 'Promoting Sustainable Building in Bangladesh' which began in January 2016.
The main objective of the project was to contribute to reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation and land degradation in Bangladesh.
Mohammad Abu Sadeque, ex-director, HBRI, and President, Alternative Building Technology Manufacturers & Entrepreneurs' Forum (ABTME Forum) and Aditi Arzoo, director of Jagorani Chakra Foundation, Jashore, also spoke at the event.
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