The ultimatum by the Industries Minister directing tanneries to relocate from Hazaribagh or be shut down and lose their plots in the new Savar tannery estate is long overdue. It is completely unacceptable that the relocation to more environmentally-friendly tanneries, which was first ordered by the High Court in 2001, has been held up for so long. Hazaribagh’s grossly outdated and polluting tannery facilities are a blight on the whole of Dhaka. By far the most visible and harmful polluters of the Buriganga river, they have given Hazaribagh the ignominious distinction of being labeled as one of the five most polluted sites on Earth. After the large amount of public funds committed to implementing the long-planned move from the grossly polluted Hazaribagh neighbourhood to the Savar area, it is highly reprehensible for key tannery owners to still be demanding more government funds to subsidise their long overdue relocation. The government’s move is necessary to allow the extended time-frame for implementation of the project to be completed this year. Tannery owners must recognise that relocation is not just in the interests of local residents and the environment and that they too stand to benefit from improved facilities and effluent treatment plants. By reducing pollution and negative environmental impacts, the new tanneries will benefit the nation’s leather sector and tannery industries by better meeting the increasing expectations of buyers and consumers that it act responsibly in reducing negative environmental and social impacts. Deadlines have been extended too many times already. The government is right to concentrate the minds of the owners and operators of polluting Hazaribagh tanneries by getting tougher in implementing this crucial and highly necessary move. An example needs to be set to improve enforcement of pollution control laws and begin a new chapter in the enforcement of Bangladesh’s environmental laws and commitments.
