Staff Reporter :
Tannery owners and workers have threatened to besiege Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) if their nine-point demand, including providing utility connections to Savar Tannery Industrial Estate, would not be soon.
They announced the demands from a rally at Hazaribagh in the capital on Monday afternoon.
Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather Goods and Footwear Exporters Association’s Chairman Mohiuddin
Ahmed Mahin declared the demands.
The demands include speedy registration of lands at Savar as per a MoU signed in 2003, construction of the international Central Effluent Treatment Plant, utility connections to Savar in 15 days, and a judicial investigation into Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation for its mismanagement.
About 30,000 people, who were working in the tanneries at Hazaribagh, took part in the rally.
According to the new program, a black flag procession will be brought out at Hazaribagh on April 12.
The leaders of Bangladesh Tanners Association (BTA) also claimed that the authorities concerned should implement the recent order of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court within the next 15 days.
BTA Chairman Shaheen Ahmed said that the workers would not leave their jobs at Hazaribagh until their employment opportunities were settled.
“I cannot carry my machinery since they are mortgaged to a bank, said Belal Hossain, owner of Ayub Brothers Tannery.
“On the other hand, what is the use of moving here if there is no gas, electricity or water,” he questioned.
Rezaul Karim, owner of ABS Tannery Limited, said he had transferred his machinery here and was doing some work but could not begin his production as there is no gas connection.
Asked when utility connections would be provided, Deputy Secretary (Project Director) of the park Md Ziaul Haque, said “We are trying to provide the connections within a very short time.”
It has been 16 years since the High Court was first moved to have the high-pollution industry transferred out of Dhaka. The government allocated the land for Savar Leather Industrial Park in 2003. However, development of the park has been mired in the usual red tape.
There is still no utility connection at the park, meaning the handful of owners who have been able to bring machinery here are unable to start production.
The Industries Ministry allocated plots to 155 tannery owners through the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) in the park, established on 200 acres of land. As of Last week, about 50 tannery owners had started production there. Another 101 tanneries needed new gas connections.
