Hazaribagh tanners demonstrate, claim new site not yet ready

The owners of tanneries at Hazaribagh in Dhaka on Saturday claimed that the new Tannery Industrial Park at Savar, on the outskirts of the capital, was not ready for production as it still lacked power and gas supply lines.
In absence of these unities indispensible for the industry, they said, it was not possible to relocate their factories immediately.
Addressing a demonstration at Dhanmondi in the capital, they also blamed the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation, government agency assigned to ensure facilities, for ‘repeatedly providing false information to courts, media and the government’.
Fourteen tannery-related organisations, including two associations of the tanners — Bangladesh Tanners’ Association and Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather Goods and Footwear Exporters’ Association — arranged the demonstration. They formed a human chain blocking Shankar-Jigatala road from 10:30am to 12:00pm.
BTA chairman Shaheen Ahmed alleged that the BSCIC was yet to ensure gas, electricity and water supplies at the new site and had not even completed the central effluent treatment plant for wastewater management.
He claimed that the BSCIC was yet to handover the land ownership to the tanners even though, as per the court order, they would have to close down their factories by April 6.
He said that they had relocated wet-blue units as the court had directed them, but they could not shift crust and finishing sections for the lack of all-important utilities supplies. ‘Gas is now the main problem for us,’ he said.
The tanners feared that the second biggest export-oriented industry of the country could face the fate of the jute sector if the government failed to address the problems of the industry aptly.
Among other organisations, tannery workers’ unions and associations of rawhide and chemical businessmen also joined the demonstration.
The High Court Division on Wednesday rejected tannery owners’ prayers to allow them to run their factories at Hazaribagh until Eid-ul-Azha, to be celebrated in early September.
The order paved the way for the Department of Environment and the law enforcement agencies to snap the utility services to the tanneries and ensure their full stoppage at Hazaribagh and relocation to Savar in line with HC’s earlier directives issued on March 6. The court also asked the DoE to submit its compliance report by April 6.

- See more at: http://www.newagebd.net/article/12542/hazaribagh-tanners-demonstrate-claim-new-site-not-yet-ready#sthash.nrcnHXw9.dpuf