Despite having taken money from the government, 28 tannery factories have suspended construction work to relocate their factories from the city’s Hazaribagh tannery hub to Savar Tannery Industrial City. The 28 factories – including three owned by Bangladesh Tanners’ Association (BTA) Chairman, one owned by the Vice Chairman, and some others owned by executive committee members – had failed to shift their factories by 2014, the stipulated period as per a tripartite agreement with the government. Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) sources said that as many as 155 companies have received around Tk. 50 crore from the government, which is 20 per cent of the total estimated cost of relocation of these companies. They added that the government will give total Tk. 250 crore as compensation for relocating Hazaribagh tanneries to Savar. They also said that the government will serve legal notice today after the Industries Minister’s ultimatum of 72 hours given last Sunday to tannery owners. The sources informed that factories that have suspended construction works include Kohinoor Tanneries Ltd, Helena Enterprise Ltd, International Tannery, Kader Leather Complex, Dhaka Tannery, Yousuf Leather Corporation Ltd, Ibrahim Leather, Chandpur Tannery, City Leather Tannery, Capital Tannery, Bhuiyan Tannery, Ruby Leather Complex Pvt Ltd, Hossain Brothers Tannery, Yousuf Tannery Ltd, Chowdhury Leather and Co Ltd, Aleya Tannery, Sonali Tannery, Shahi Tannery, Delta Leather Complex, Anwar Tannery, Nazrul Tannery, Golden Leather Industries, HS Tannery, Roshni Complex, Kamla Tannery Pvt Ltd, Dhaka Hyde & Skins Ltd, Pioneer Tannery Ltd, Aziz Tannery Ltd, Mukti Tannery and Leather Industries of Bangladesh Ltd. Jahangir Rahman (Milon), an EC member of BTA, who is also the proprietor of M/S. International Tannery, told The Independentyesterday, “I have already completed piling work. We will resume construction work soon.” Milon added that many BTA members have failed to relocate their factories to Savar in the stipulated period. “Like the tannery owners, the government too has failed to ready the Savar Tannery Estate. They are yet to complete the central effluent treatment plant (CETP),” said Jahangir in reply to a query. He said they are, however, yet to get the legal notice. In 2003, authorities decided to shift the tanneries as they had virtually turned the Buriganga into a pool of septic water as untreated waste from more than 200 tanneries that process raw hides into finished leather flowed freely into what is Dhaka’s lifeline. According to Environment Ministry sources, around 22,000 cubic metre of untreated, highly toxic liquid wastes from the tanneries flows into the Buriganga. However, BSCIC authorities formally sent letters to 155 tannery owners on April 23, 2007, to shift their respective factories from Hazaribagh to Savar Tannery Estate after allocation of plots. According to the legal notice, “The tannery owners should relocate their factories within 72 hours after receiving the notice. If anyone fails to comply with the notice—services of electricity, gas and water lines will be snapped from the factories.” Besides, legal action including cancellation of plots will be taken against those who violate notice. “Even the factories will be evicted as per law,” said the legal notice. However, Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, talking to reporters at the Bangladesh Secretariat yesterday, deviated from his Sunday ultimatum and said that action will be taken only against those who have suspended construction works to relocate tannery factories to Savar after 72 hours. The Industries Minister’s ultimatum for 72 hours to relocate tannery factories to Savar will end today at 2:00pm.
