The owners and workers of tannery factories yesterday threatened to launch more intensive protest programmes if electricity, water and gas connections were not given within 15 days to the newly-constructed Savar tannery estate in accordance with the court’s order.They also warned that they would lay siege to the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) building at Motijheel if their demands were not fulfilled. Their warning came at a grand rally at the city’s tannery crossing at Hazaribagh.The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) on Sunday ordered the authorities to give gas, water and electric connections within 15 days to those factories who have applied for these at the Savar tannery estate.On Sunday, the Department of Environment (DoE) had snapped all utility services, including gas, water, electricity and telephone lines, at Hazaribagh as per the country’s apex court order.“We want gas, water and electric connections within 15 days as per the court’s order. If the authorities fail to implement the court order, we will launch a more intensive programme, including besieging the BSCIC building,” Bangladesh Tanners Association (BTA) president Shaheen Ahmed told The Independent.The owners and workers of tannery factories will bring out a procession with black flags on April 12, he said.“A total of 120 tannery factories has applied for gas connections and 144 factory owners for power connections in Savar. But the authorities are yet to give these connections,” Ahmed said.“We have submitted a nine-point charter of demands to the government. We will launch different programmes until our demands are met,” Tannery Workers’ Union general secretary Abdul Malek told the rally.Malek said the authorities should ensure a proper working environment and facilities like gas, water and electric connections at the Savar tannery estate.A new programme will be launched on April 15 after an executive committee meeting at the Bangladesh Leather Technology Auditorium.According to tannery owners, they have already invested Tk. 2,200 crore at the Savar tannery village. The government has allocated a total of 155 plots among the tannery owners to shift their units to the newly-constructed Savar tannery village.
