Staff Reporter :Tannery and fine leather export sector of Bangladesh has been facing new pressure on top due to the latest shifting deadline from Hazaribagh to Savar by April 30. The tannery owners termed the latest deadline ‘illogical’ and said they need at least three more months to shift fully to the newly-built leather industrial estate at Savar.Meanwhile, statistics shows that the income from this sector has dropped as the tannery owners are in hassle up in moving to the new zone.Mohiuddin Ahmed Mahin, President of Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leathergoods & Footwear Exporters’ Association told The New Nation on Saturday, “It is not possible to clear fifty years long jam in a day. It’s a gradual process.””We are trying our best for shifting tannery factories from Hazaribagh to Savar despite having severe financial troubles. We need at least three more months to shift fully to the new site,” he said.For the last few years the government had taken several attempts to evict tanneries from Hazaribagh to Savar but failed. However, to save the leather sector, the government again extends the new date on April 30. Earlier, the deadline was April 10.The compliance issue imposed by the European buyers is still to buzz. According to them, the factories have to fulfill the compliances by June 30, which includes the tannery shifting.On January 10, Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu gave a 72-hour ultimatum to the tannery owners to relocate, and later issued legal notices to 142 tanneries. The ultimatum came in the backdrop of the expiration of the deadline, which ended on December 31 last. Later, the government extended the time to March 31.Earlier, the authorities had also sought extensions before the High Court to complete the relocation. On July 3, 2011, the government gave a final extension of two years for relocation of tanneries.Meanwhile, the tannery owners also blamed the government for the ‘deadlock’, claiming that they were given the layout plan on time, while the government is yet to complete the infrastructure.Shaheen Ahmed, President of Bangladesh Tanners Association said, “The government is forcing us to shift to Savar without allocating sufficient fund. So, we want up to the next Eid-ul-Azha to shift our factories to the new tannery park.”
