Environment, forest and climate change minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury told Jatiya Sangsad on Thursday that the number of asthma patients was increasing in the country due to air pollution.
The minister said this in response to a question from ruling Awami League lawmaker M Abdul Latif during a question and answer session in the parliament.
The environment minister said that if the level of air pollution was high, the number of asthma patients would increase due to reasons related to the disease.
鈥楢s air pollution is high in the country, the number of asthma patients is increasing. The government has taken various steps to bring air pollution to zero in public interest,鈥� he said.
Initiatives have been taken to effectively implement the Air Pollution Control Rules 2022, issued to control air pollution in the country, he said, adding that in the light of the Air Pollution (Control) Rules 2022, the national committee on air pollution under the chairmanship of the cabinet secretary is taking coordinated actions to prevent air pollution.
In response to AL lawmaker Nani Gopal Mandal鈥檚 question, the minister said that there were currently 6,876 brick kilns in the country.
From April 2019 to April this year, 2,338 drives were conducted against illegal brick kilns across the country, he said, adding that 4,436 cases have been filed and 98 people have been sentenced to various terms of imprisonment while about Tk 111.50 crore have been realised as fined and 1,180 brick kilns have been closed.