Finally, tanners shut Hazaribagh units

Tanners stopped all operations at their factories in Hazaribagh yesterday in compliance with the government’s January 31 deadline.
The Bangladesh Tanners’ Association (BTA) has asked all its members to stop rawhide and other kinds of processing elsewhere. It has finally taken the responsibility to ensure the shifting of tanneries to Savar after missing several deadlines.
Earlier, Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, senior secretary of the industries ministry, held a joint meeting with the leaders of the BTA and the Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather Goods and Footwear Exporters’ Association (BFLLGFEA). They unanimously decided not to allow rawhide into Hazaribagh after January 31. They also decided to shift all the factories to Savar by March 31.
“No rawhide will enter any factory in Hazaribagh from today (Wednesday). We have already written to all members about this,” BTA president Shahin Ahmed told The Independent yesterday.
He said that if factory owners fail to start production in the Savar tannery village, they can process rawhide outside Hazaribagh. He, however, did not mention where they could do so.
“We have reached a consensus on implementing the government decision. So, the association leaders will resist any move to bring rawhide into Hazaribagh from today (Wednesday),” 
BFLLGFEA chairman Mohiuddin Ahmed told this correspondent. In another development, the taskforce formed to protect the rivers from encroachment and pollution has decided to take effective steps to prevent pollution around the newly built Savar tannery village.
“In all, 43 factories have already relocated to Savar from Hazaribagh. Effective measures will be taken to prevent pollution in Savar,” shipping minister Shajahan Khan, who chaired the taskforce meeting, told reporters yesterday.
Land minister Shamsur Rahman Sharif, housing and public works minister Mosharraf Hossain, and chairman of the standing committee on water resources Ramesh Chandra Sen, among others, attended the meeting.
“We have decided to take proper measures to prevent pollution of River Halda in Chittagong to increase the breeding of fish,” Shajahan Khan said.
He also said they had decided to allocate Tk. 25 lakh for the National River Protection Commission to supply 2,586 CS (cadastral survey) maps and 2,073 RS (revenue survey) maps to Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Manikganj district administrations after collecting those from the survey department. These maps will be given to the district administrations to resolve all disputes relating to the river banks and their demarcations.
Besides, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) will construct 9,500 RCC (reinforced concrete column) pillars in the 50km circular waterways around the capital, the shipping minister said.

Finally, tanners shut Hazaribagh units

Tanners stopped all operations at their factories in Hazaribagh yesterday in compliance with the governments January 31 deadline. The Bangladesh Tanners Association (BTA) has asked all its members to stop rawhide and other kinds of processing elsewhere. It has finally taken the responsibility to ensure the shifting of tanneries to Savar after missing several deadlines. Earlier, Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, senior secretary of the industries ministry, held a joint meeting with the leaders of the BTA and the Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather Goods and Footwear Exporters Association (BFLLGFEA). They unanimously decided not to allow rawhide into Hazaribagh after January 31. They also decided to shift all the factories to Savar by March 31. No rawhide will enter any factory in Hazaribagh from today (Wednesday). We have already written to all members about this, BTA president Shahin Ahmed told The Independent yesterday. He said that if factory owners fail to start production in the Savar tannery village, they can process rawhide outside Hazaribagh. He, however, did not mention where they could do so. We have reached a consensus on implementing the government decision. So, the association leaders will resist any move to bring rawhide into Hazaribagh from today (Wednesday), BFLLGFEA chairman Mohiuddin Ahmed told this correspondent. In another development, the taskforce formed to protect the rivers from encroachment and pollution has decided to take effective steps to prevent pollution around the newly built Savar tannery village. In all, 43 factories have already relocated to Savar from Hazaribagh. Effective measures will be taken to prevent pollution in Savar, shipping minister Shajahan Khan, who chaired the taskforce meeting, told reporters yesterday. Land minister Shamsur Rahman Sharif, housing and public works minister Mosharraf Hossain, and chairman of the standing committee on water resources Ramesh Chandra Sen, among others, attended the meeting. We have decided to take proper measures to prevent pollution of River Halda in Chittagong to increase the breeding of fish, Shajahan Khan said. He also said they had decided to allocate Tk. 25 lakh for the National River Protection Commission to supply 2,586 CS (cadastral survey) maps and 2,073 RS (revenue survey) maps to Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Manikganj district administrations after collecting those from the survey department. These maps will be given to the district administrations to resolve all disputes relating to the river banks and their demarcations. Besides, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) will construct 9,500 RCC (reinforced concrete column) pillars in the 50km circular waterways around the capital, the shipping minister said.