Dhaka-Finance minister AMA Muhith yesterday alleged that Public Works Department (PWD) does not follow the instruction to use eco friendly hollow bricks.“I have instructed the PWD after coming in power in 2009 to use hollow bricks instead of top soil bricks. But does not follow the instruction,” Muhith accused while delivering speech at programme on ‘Green Brick Convention-2016’ organized by Bangladesh Infrastructure Finance Fund Limited (BIFFL) at a city hotel.
Chaired by Executive Director & CEO of BIFFL SM Formanul Islam, among others governor Bangladesh Bank, Fazle Kabir; secretary of Prime Minister Office (PMO) Suraiya Begum, and Country Director, Asian Development Bank (ADB) Kazuhiko Higuichi addressed the programme. Environment specialist Dr A Atiq Rahman made the keynote presentation in the convention.
Muhith said there is tax exemption plan in using eco friendly hollow bricks, but the people do not use it due to lack of awareness.
He emphasized on quality of infrastructure and encourage in using hollow brick in construction sector.
Muhith further said there is scope to use hollow brick is 50 per cent of development budget.
Fazle Kabir said BB has a fund of Tk 2 billion for renewable energy and eco friendly projects.
He also said the central has plan to continue its green financing.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Bangladesh yesterday signed $50 million loan agreement for improving capacity and safety of the railway system in Bangladesh.
Mohammad Mejbahuddin, senior secretary, Economic Relations Division (ERD), and Kazuhiko Higuchi, country director, Bangladesh Resident Mission of ADB, signed the agreement on behalf of Bangladesh and ADB respectively, at a ceremony at ERD, Sher-e-Bangla
Kazuhiko Higuchi said ADB is providing $50 million loan for improvement of the environment by financing more energy-efficient brick kilns in the country.
ADB provided US$50 million in local currency to the Bangladesh Bank which will re-lend the funds to participating financial institutions (FIs), he said.
The FIs provide loans to brick makers seeking to upgrade their existing kilns to cleaner kinds of kilns or to those looking to build the cleaner kilns for the first time.
“Brick-making is one of the industries that generates large amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases,” said ADB country.
The brick sector contributes around one percent of the Bangladesh economy. However, it is highly polluting, burning at least six million tons of coal and emitting about 9.8 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) every year, largely because most of Bangladesh’s estimated 5,000 brick fields use the highly polluting fixed chimney kilns.
A fixed chimney kiln uses 240 tons of coal and emits 582 tons of CO2 per million bricks produced. This compares with the cleanest tunnel chimney which uses only 100-120 tons of coal and produces 291 tons of CO2. -STAFF REPORTER
