Eco-friendly brick maker dreams of development without harming the environment | The Business Standard
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Banking
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Food
    • Habitat
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • TBS Graduates
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Tech
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Monday
December 04, 2023

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Banking
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Food
    • Habitat
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • TBS Graduates
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Tech
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
MONDAY, DECEMBER 04, 2023
Eco-friendly brick maker dreams of development without harming the environment

Bangladesh

Bipul Sarkar Sunny
19 January, 2022, 03:00 pm
Last modified: 19 January, 2022, 05:39 pm

Related News

  • How substandard bricks affect construction quality, drive up costs
  • Govt to provide incentives to eco-friendly brick manufacturers: Environment minister
  • Skyhigh Tk256cr/km highway construction cost estimate raises eyebrows
  • Businesses seek incentives for eco-friendly industrialisation
  • Govt urged for loans on easy terms to facilitate home construction

Eco-friendly brick maker dreams of development without harming the environment

Green Berry Concrete Bricks and Blocks factory currently makes one lakh pieces of concrete blocks per month, while it can produce up to five lakh pieces

Bipul Sarkar Sunny
19 January, 2022, 03:00 pm
Last modified: 19 January, 2022, 05:39 pm
Stone dust is one of the essential elements in making blocks and bricks. Photo: TBS
Stone dust is one of the essential elements in making blocks and bricks. Photo: TBS

Brick is an essential material to continue the development projects across the country, but increasing brick production in traditional methods threatens to aggravate the environment and ruin public health. This thought prompted Ishfaqur Rahman Galib, a young entrepreneur in Dinajpur, to set up an eco-friendly concrete block factory that will meet the increased demand for bricks without harming the environment. 

He set up Green Berry Concrete Bricks and Blocks, an eco-friendly concrete block factory, spending Tk50 lakh in January this year. Initially, he did not make any profit as very few people knew about his products. 

Instead of feeling daunted, Galib went from door to door to inform people about the benefits of using eco-friendly concrete blocks. All his efforts bore fruit as he started making a profit from the seventh month of starting his factory. 

The Business Standard Google News Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel

Currently, Galib's factory produces one lakh pieces of concrete blocks per month at a manufacturing cost of Tk7-8 lakh, while the factory can produce up to five lakh pieces per month.

He has to spend Tk2 lakh per month on salaries and maintenance. By selling around 70,000-80,000 concrete blocks, he makes a profit of Tk50,000-60,000 per month. 

The factory currently produces six types of concrete blocks, but it can make 30 types of blocks, which are used for building walls, roofs, partitions, sidewalks, roads, and parking lots. 

"Constructing buildings with concrete blocks instead of traditional bricks can save at least 30-40% of the construction cost," said Galib.

"Buildings constructed with these blocks are earthquake resistant and insulated from heat. Moreover, these buildings can be painted directly without plastering the walls," he said.

Green Berry Concrete Bricks and Blocks factory uses stone powder, cement and sand instead of soil as raw material and does not burn raw bricks. So, the environment is not harmed in any way.

Currently, 18 people work in the factory which uses imported German machinery.

Jayanta Roy, manager of the factory, said, "Many people like me are employed here. Although there was not much production and sale at the beginning, the demand for these blocks is increasing day by day."

However, Galib faces a weird problem in manufacturing and marketing his blocks. The traditional brick kilns can make four types of bricks graded according to their varying quality and charge prices for them accordingly. But Galib's factory can produce only top quality concrete blocks which can be compared to grade-1 bricks produced in the traditional kilns.  

While the 1,000 pieces of grade-1 bricks are sold at Tk12,000, the same amount of concrete blocks sold at the Green Berry factory is sold at around Tk9,500.

"The good thing is that the demand for eco-friendly concrete blocks is increasing among the people. If these blocks are preferred in the construction of government facilities, then many more entrepreneurs like me will emerge," said Galib.

The concrete blocks manufactured in Green Berry factory are currently sold in Dinajpur, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Rangpur and Bogura.

Dinajpur Public Works Circle Supervising Engineer Muhammad Zakir Hossain said, "Officially, there is a plan to start using concrete blocks in all the government installations by 2025. However, we have already taken an initiative to use these blocks in government installations."

"A tender process to construct three government facilities in Dinajpur by using mostly concrete blocks is underway. We have adopted a plan to build all government establishments with concrete blocks only," he added.

Dinajpur is one of the districts in the country where a large number of bricks are made by burning soil. There are 248 brickfields in this district, but only 76 of them have clearances from the Department of Environment. The fumes from these brickfields are constantly damaging crops, people's health and the environment.

Top News

Bricks / eco-friendly / construction

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • For the first time, Bangladesh seeks foreign loans to support Rohingyas
    For the first time, Bangladesh seeks foreign loans to support Rohingyas
  • Treasury bill interest rate tops 11%
    Treasury bill interest rate tops 11%
  • File Photo of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
    PM to hold meeting with leaders of 14-party alliance tomorrow

MOST VIEWED

  • Paperfly founders set to buy out foreign investor's entire stake
    Paperfly founders set to buy out foreign investor's entire stake
  • Representational Image of the MV Madhumati. Photo: Collected
    Dhaka-Kolkata maiden private cruise ship reaches Kolkata
  • 5 renewable power projects on cards to counter global fuel price surge
    5 renewable power projects on cards to counter global fuel price surge
  • LPG cylinders. Photo: Courtesy
    12kg LPG cylinder price up Tk23
  • Proposed insider trading rule change raises concerns about stock manipulation
    Proposed insider trading rule change raises concerns about stock manipulation
  • Photo: Collected
    Indonesia volcano erupts, spews ash 3 km into sky

Related News

  • How substandard bricks affect construction quality, drive up costs
  • Govt to provide incentives to eco-friendly brick manufacturers: Environment minister
  • Skyhigh Tk256cr/km highway construction cost estimate raises eyebrows
  • Businesses seek incentives for eco-friendly industrialisation
  • Govt urged for loans on easy terms to facilitate home construction

Features

Designed for utility, the D90 is a giant in comparison to other MG models and misses out on design elements which gives the other models their sporty stance. Photo: Akif Hamid

Maxus D90: Spacious, capable and practical

12h | Wheels
Maria Callas: Remembering the soprano diva on her century

Maria Callas: Remembering the soprano diva on her century

11h | Features
Photo: Touseful Islam

Last sip of coffee with cats: Bidding adieu to Capawcino

13h | Features
Jannatul Ferdous Ivy has written 11 books so far with the latest, a series of poems, being published this year. Photo: Noor-A-Alam

Jannatul Ferdous Ivy: Overcoming tragedy, excelling in life

22h | Panorama

More Videos from TBS

Euro champion Italy in 'Group of Death' with Spain and Croatia

Euro champion Italy in 'Group of Death' with Spain and Croatia

8h | TBS SPORTS
Will Israel kill expatriate Hamas leaders after the war?

Will Israel kill expatriate Hamas leaders after the war?

7h | TBS World
Mahiya Mahi, Dolly Sayantani and Hero Alam's candidacy canceled!

Mahiya Mahi, Dolly Sayantani and Hero Alam's candidacy canceled!

11h | TBS Stories
Doctors of bike engines

Doctors of bike engines

9h | TBS Stories
EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2023
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net