The High Court today directed the government to immediately shut down the tanneries operating at Hazaribagh in Dhaka.
The court also ordered the government to shut down the utility services including gas line, power and water lines of the tanneries there damaging the environment and in violation of a HC directive.
Ministries of home, environment, industries and inspector general of police (IGP) have been told to assist the Department of Environment to shut down the tanneries.
The bench of Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Md Salim came up with the order following a petition filed by Bangladesh Environment Lawyers Association (Bela).
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. The deadline was extended to April 2011 in October 2010.
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 holding hearing pm the petition, the HC today directed the director general of Department of Environment to immediately shut down the tanneries at Hazaribagh and their utility services, Bela Chief Executive Officer Syeda Rizwana Hassan told The Daily Star.
Source: The Daily Star
