Environmentalists oppose SEZ in Habiganj

A proposed special economic zone (SEZ) in Habiganj’s Chunarughat upazila has run into opposition from environmentalists and local tea plantation workers.
The SEZ will come up on 511 acres of government-owned land near Chandpur tea estate. While analysts said the project would play a crucial role in the economic development of the country, those opposed to it claimed that building an SEZ on farmland would be detrimental to the environment as well as to the human rights of tea plantation workers in the area.
The proposal for the SEZ was first mooted by the former deputy commissioner of Habiganj, Md. Jainal Abedin, in 2014. Subsequently, Abedin had forwarded the proposal to the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) under the Prime Minister’s Office.
Following the proposal, former executive chairman of BEZA Fakhrul Islam inspected the proposed site at Chunarughat with Abedin and other officials on October 4, 2014. Fakhrul then told the officials concerned to prepare a plan for the SEZ. The proposal was then submitted for final approval from the Prime Minister.
In March this year, BEZA executive chairman Paban Chowdhury also visited the proposed site as well as Chandpur tea estate and exchanged his views on the feasibility of the project with local people.
Chowdhury said industrialisation in the area will open a door of prospects for Habiganj as well as the country. He added that the aim of the proposed SEZ was to attract both local and foreign investments, boost exports and create employment for thousands of people.
Local analysts too said it would be a revolutionary change if the SEZ was to be implemented in Habiganj.
Shah Fokruzzaman, a noted journalist, said the SEZ will create job opportunities for around 50,000 people, including unemployed youths from the tea estate. It will also boost tourism in Chunarughat and development of the land-port at Balla near the border with India.
However, human rights activists and environmentalists have demanded not to establish the SEZ near the tea estate as it will be harmful for environment and hamper the rights of tea plantation workers.
Tofazzal Sohel, the Habiganj unit general secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA), told The Independent that industrial wastes from the SEZ will badly pollute the environment and harm biodiversity of the area. Also, different unions of tea plantation workers have held several protest rallies against the proposal to build a SEZ on farmland, affecting their livelihood.
Even the National Human Rights Commission chairman, Dr Mizanur Rahman, has urged the government not to build the SEZ.
The NHRC chief came up with the plea at a discussion meeting titled “Human Rights among the Indigenous Tea-garden Labourers and Socio-economic Development” at the National Press Club on August 2. He said the poor tea workers’ livelihood depended on the farmland in the plantation area. He also said the government must pay attention to the people who were generating revenue for the state’s economy.

Environmentalists oppose SEZ in Habiganj

A proposed special economic zone (SEZ) in Habiganjs Chunarughat upazila has run into opposition from environmentalists and local tea plantation workers. The SEZ will come up on 511 acres of government-owned land near Chandpur tea estate. While analysts said the project would play a crucial role in the economic development of the country, those opposed to it claimed that building an SEZ on farmland would be detrimental to the environment as well as to the human rights of tea plantation workers in the area. The proposal for the SEZ was first mooted by the former deputy commissioner of Habiganj, Md. Jainal Abedin, in 2014. Subsequently, Abedin had forwarded the proposal to the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) under the Prime Ministers Office. Following the proposal, former executive chairman of BEZA Fakhrul Islam inspected the proposed site at Chunarughat with Abedin and other officials on October 4, 2014. Fakhrul then told the officials concerned to prepare a plan for the SEZ. The proposal was then submitted for final approval from the Prime Minister. In March this year, BEZA executive chairman Paban Chowdhury also visited the proposed site as well as Chandpur tea estate and exchanged his views on the feasibility of the project with local people. Chowdhury said industrialisation in the area will open a door of prospects for Habiganj as well as the country. He added that the aim of the proposed SEZ was to attract both local and foreign investments, boost exports and create employment for thousands of people. Local analysts too said it would be a revolutionary change if the SEZ was to be implemented in Habiganj. Shah Fokruzzaman, a noted journalist, said the SEZ will create job opportunities for around 50,000 people, including unemployed youths from the tea estate. It will also boost tourism in Chunarughat and development of the land-port at Balla near the border with India. However, human rights activists and environmentalists have demanded not to establish the SEZ near the tea estate as it will be harmful for environment and hamper the rights of tea plantation workers. Tofazzal Sohel, the Habiganj unit general secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA), told The Independent that industrial wastes from the SEZ will badly pollute the environment and harm biodiversity of the area. Also, different unions of tea plantation workers have held several protest rallies against the proposal to build a SEZ on farmland, affecting their livelihood. Even the National Human Rights Commission chairman, Dr Mizanur Rahman, has urged the government not to build the SEZ. The NHRC chief came up with the plea at a discussion meeting titled Human Rights among the Indigenous Tea-garden Labourers and Socio-economic Development at the National Press Club on August 2. He said the poor tea workers livelihood depended on the farmland in the plantation area. He also said the government must pay attention to the people who were generating revenue for the states economy.