Shut Hazaribagh tanneries: HC

Utility services to be cut-off after getting HC order: DoE

In a major development over the issue of shifting all tanneries from the capital’s Hazaribagh area, the High Court has directed the government to immediately shutdown the Hazaribagh tanneries and disconnect all their utility services, including gas line, power and water, as they missed several deadlines to relocate the factories to Savar. The HC bench comprising Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Md Salim came up with the order yesterday following a petition filed by Bangladesh Environment Lawyers Association (BELA). The HC bench asked the ministries of home, environment, industries and inspector general of police (IGP) to assist the Department of Environment to shut down the tanneries.
When asked about the High Court order, Kazi Sarwar Imtiaz Hashmi, acting Director General of Department of Environment yesterday told The Independent that after getting the court order, they would take immediate steps to shut down all the tanneries that are yet to relocate from Hazaribagh to Savar. “We will cut-off the gas lines, power and water lines to those factories after getting the copy of the High Court verdict. We will also seize all equipment so that they cannot run these factories,” Hashmi added.  Chief Executive Officer of BELA Advocate Syeda Rizwana Hassan told this correspondent that the copy of the High Court order is likely to be released on Thursday (March 9).
After a hearing on the petition filed by BELA, the HC yesterday directed the director general of Department of Environment to immediately shut down the tanneries at Hazaribagh and their utility services, Advocate Syeda Rizwana Hassan said.
“Now, the authorities concerned can take action in accordance with the High Court order as the owners of the tanneries have missed several deadlines to shift their factories from Dhaka to Savar,” she added.
In 2001, the High Court (HC) had directed the government to shift the factories from Hazaribagh to Savar, considering the critical situation of the Buriganga due to the discharge of highly toxic untreated chemical waste from tanneries. By 2003, untreated waste from more than 200 tanneries had virtually turned the Buriganga into a noxious pool.
Later, following a writ petition filed by BELA, the High Court in June 2009 directed the tannery owners to move the tanneries from Hazaribagh to Savar.  
However, the government extended several times the relocation deadline following requests from the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation, the implementing agency of the tannery estate project.
On December last year, the industries secretary issued a notice saying that no raw leather will enter Hazaribagh after March 31, 2017 and no tannery will operate there after March 31, 2017.
BELA, on January 3 this year, submitted the petition to the HC saying that the industries secretary cannot extend the time for relocating the tanneries from Hazaribagh without permission from the HC. After a hearing on the matter yesterday, the High Court ordered immediate shutdown of Hazaribagh tanneries.
Earlier, on March 2, another bench of the HC directed the 154 tanneries in Hazaribagh to deposit a total of Tk 30.85 crore to the state fund in two weeks as compensation for causing damage to the environment. The HC bench of Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Ashish Ranjan Das came up with the order during the hearing on a petition filed by the Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), seeking its directive as the tannery owners did not deposit compensation money, as per a previous court directive. In June last year, the HC directed the tanners to compensate Tk 50,000 per day each for damaging the environment until they relocate their factories to Savar.
Later, in response to appeals by tannery owners, the Supreme Court in July last year reduced to fine to Tk 10,000 per day for every tannery for damaging and polluting the environment in the area until those are relocated from Dhaka’s Hazaribagh to Savar. The apex court also ordered the government to donate 50 per cent of the fine to the National Liver Foundation of Bangladesh. But, the owners of the tanneries did not pay the compensation properly as per the apex court order. Later, the HRPB filed a petition before the HC seeking its directive over the matter.

Shut Hazaribagh tanneries: HC

Utility services to be cut-off after getting HC order: DoE

In a major development over the issue of shifting all tanneries from the capitals Hazaribagh area, the High Court has directed the government to immediately shutdown the Hazaribagh tanneries and disconnect all their utility services, including gas line, power and water, as they missed several deadlines to relocate the factories to Savar. The HC bench comprising Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Md Salim came up with the order yesterday following a petition filed by Bangladesh Environment Lawyers Association (BELA). The HC bench asked the ministries of home, environment, industries and inspector general of police (IGP) to assist the Department of Environment to shut down the tanneries. When asked about the High Court order, Kazi Sarwar Imtiaz Hashmi, acting Director General of Department of Environment yesterday told The Independent that after getting the court order, they would take immediate steps to shut down all the tanneries that are yet to relocate from Hazaribagh to Savar. We will cut-off the gas lines, power and water lines to those factories after getting the copy of the High Court verdict. We will also seize all equipment so that they cannot run these factories, Hashmi added. Chief Executive Officer of BELA Advocate Syeda Rizwana Hassan told this correspondent that the copy of the High Court order is likely to be released on Thursday (March 9). After a hearing on the petition filed by BELA, the HC yesterday directed the director general of Department of Environment to immediately shut down the tanneries at Hazaribagh and their utility services, Advocate Syeda Rizwana Hassan said. Now, the authorities concerned can take action in accordance with the High Court order as the owners of the tanneries have missed several deadlines to shift their factories from Dhaka to Savar, she added. In 2001, the High Court (HC) had directed the government to shift the factories from Hazaribagh to Savar, considering the critical situation of the Buriganga due to the discharge of highly toxic untreated chemical waste from tanneries. By 2003, untreated waste from more than 200 tanneries had virtually turned the Buriganga into a noxious pool. Later, following a writ petition filed by BELA, the High Court in June 2009 directed the tannery owners to move the tanneries from Hazaribagh to Savar. However, the government extended several times the relocation deadline following requests from the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation, the implementing agency of the tannery estate project. On December last year, the industries secretary issued a notice saying that no raw leather will enter Hazaribagh after March 31, 2017 and no tannery will operate there after March 31, 2017. BELA, on January 3 this year, submitted the petition to the HC saying that the industries secretary cannot extend the time for relocating the tanneries from Hazaribagh without permission from the HC. After a hearing on the matter yesterday, the High Court ordered immediate shutdown of Hazaribagh tanneries. Earlier, on March 2, another bench of the HC directed the 154 tanneries in Hazaribagh to deposit a total of Tk 30.85 crore to the state fund in two weeks as compensation for causing damage to the environment. The HC bench of Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Ashish Ranjan Das came up with the order during the hearing on a petition filed by the Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), seeking its directive as the tannery owners did not deposit compensation money, as per a previous court directive. In June last year, the HC directed the tanners to compensate Tk 50,000 per day each for damaging the environment until they relocate their factories to Savar. Later, in response to appeals by tannery owners, the Supreme Court in July last year reduced to fine to Tk 10,000 per day for every tannery for damaging and polluting the environment in the area until those are relocated from Dhakas Hazaribagh to Savar. The apex court also ordered the government to donate 50 per cent of the fine to the National Liver Foundation of Bangladesh. But, the owners of the tanneries did not pay the compensation properly as per the apex court order. Later, the HRPB filed a petition before the HC seeking its directive over the matter.