High Court slaps 154 tanneries with Tk50,000 daily fine

The High Court has slapped a daily fine of Tk50,000 on each of the 154 tanneries that are yet to relocate to Savar from Hazaribagh. Owners of these tanneries will have to deposit the amount to state fund until their industries are shifted. The court yesterday also ordered the industries secretary to submit a report on July 17 on whether the owners had paid the fine. The High Court also asked the environment secretary to file a separate report on July 17 on the damage the tanneries had inflicted on the Buriganga River. A total of 154 tanneries in Dhaka's Hazaribagh are yet to be relocated despite a court order. Justices Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and AKM Shahidul Huq's bench issued the order after hearing a petition by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh. Manzill Murshid, who represented the petitioner, said until these tanneries are relocated, their owners would have to deposit Tk50,000 daily to state fund as compensation for damaging the environment. In this regard, Bangladesh Tanners Association (BTA) General Secretary Md Shakhawat Ullah yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune: “We just got to know about the court order through media. We will take decision on the next course of action after receiving details of the order.” On March 31, the government deployed police at entry points of Dhaka to prevent rawhide-laden trucks from entering Hazaribagh as the deadline for shifting the tannery units to Savar Tannery State ended. Earlier, the Industries Ministry extended the deadline several times but decided to go tough against the errant tanners recently considering the damage to the environment. Following pressures from environmentalists and rights groups as well as buyers, the government decided to relocate tanneries from Hazaribagh to Savar to save adjoining rivers and the dwellers of the area from health hazards. The government has already allocated plots to 155 tannery owners through Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industry Corporation (BSCIC) at the industrial park established on a 200-acre land in Savar.