Unchecked topsoil extraction for brick kilns is degrading farmland in northern Bangladesh, reducing crop yields, pressuring farmers and raising alarms over long-term food security and prompting calls for stricter enforcement.
Uncontrolled removal of fertile topsoil for brick kilns threatens food security.
Widespread and largely unchecked removal of fertile agricultural topsoil for brick production is threatening crop yields and long-term food security across northern Bangladesh. Farmers, soil experts and local authorities warn that the practice could undermine the sustainability of farming in one of the country’s key agricultural regions.
In districts including Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Gaibandha and Rangpur, fertile topsoil from croplands is being excavated and transported to brick kilns. This stripping of farmland removes the soil layer richest in organic matter and beneficial microorganisms, which are essential for crop growth. Experts say that once topsoil is removed, it can take more than ten years for land to naturally regain its fertility.
Environmental activists caution that unless enforcement is strengthened and alternative construction materials are promoted, continued extraction of fertile soil for brick production could undermine agricultural sustainability, reduce food security and threaten the livelihoods of farming communities in northern Bangladesh.
According to the Department of Environment, at least 595 brick kilns across the four districts are using agricultural topsoil in violation of regulations. Local authorities recently fined 12 brick kilns a total of Tk 1.5 million following enforcement operations in Lalmonirhat’s Hatibandha and Patgram, Kurigram’s Phulbari, Nageshwari and Ulipur, Gaibandha’s Sundarganj and Rangpur’s Taraganj upazilas.
However, sources say repeated raids have had limited effect, as brick kiln owners continue to source topsoil due to high demand for construction materials. Jamal Uddin, a technician at a kiln in Nageshwari, said each brick requires about five kilograms of soil and a single kiln produces four to five million bricks annually, creating enormous pressure on farmland.
Brick kiln owners argue that farmers willingly sell their soil. Afzal Hossain, a kiln owner in Hatibandha, said, “Farmers come to us because they get good money for their soil. If we do not buy it, brick production will stop and development work will be disrupted.”
Farmers, however, report a different reality. Many feel pressured to sell their topsoil after neighbouring fields are excavated, which makes irrigation and cultivation difficult. Aftab Uddin, a 65-year-old farmer from Durgapur village in Ulipur, said, “Once several acres are dug out, the remaining land becomes lower and uneven. We have no choice but to sell our soil.” Narayan Sarkar, a farmer in Pirgachha, said one bigha of topsoil sells for Tk 18,000 to Tk 20,000, but crop yields decline in subsequent years.
Experts warn of long-term environmental and economic consequences. Dr Safinur Rahman, senior scientific officer at the Rangpur Soil Resource Development Institute, said, “Topsoil contains most of the organic matter and microorganisms. Once removed, restoring fertility can take more than ten years.”
Sirajul Islam, additional director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Rangpur, said indiscriminate soil removal is already affecting crop production in the region. Rezaual Karim, assistant director of the Department of Environment in Kurigram, said enforcement actions are ongoing but noted that sustained monitoring is needed to prevent illegal extraction.
Rangpur Divisional Commissioner Shahidul Islam said district administrations have been instructed to take strict measures to halt the removal of topsoil from croplands.
