Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu yesterday said the Hazaribagh tanneries not yet relocated to the leather industrial park in Savar would be shut as a 72-hour ultimatum to do so ended on Tuesday.
He said the allocation of plots to the errant tannery owners in Savar would also be cancelled.
“The tannery owners have already been given much time to relocate but they have not done it yet. If they fail to act right away, they will lose their tanneries,” said Amu while talking to reporters after inaugurating a four-day exposition of garment accessories in the capital.
Zakaria Trade and Fair International, ASK Trade and Exhibitions Pvt Ltd, and Bangladesh Garment Accessories and Packaging Manufacturers and Exporters Association organised the exposition.
On Sunday, Amu warned that tanneries would be closed if those were not relocated to the industrial park within 72 hours.
December 31, 2015 was the deadline set by the government for the relocation process.
“We have served legal notices on 25 tannery owners who failed to relocate while three owners initiated the process after the minister’s warning,” Abdul Qaiyum, director of the leather industrial park project, told the Dhaka Tribune.
“We hope the remaining owners will act soon. Otherwise, action will be initiated against them as per the minister’s direction,” he added.
