The Supreme Court has upheld a High Court order that asked the government to shut down all 154 tanneries in Hazaribagh, Dhaka and cut off their utility connections immediately. On March 6, a High Court bench of Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Md Salim issued the order after hearing BELA’s petition. Also Read- HC: Shut down Hazaribagh tanneries immediatelyThe court sought another report from the Ministry of Industries on whether the authorities concerned have been helping the ministry in barring the supply of rawhides to the Hazaribagh tanneries, in accordance with a previous directive. Earlier, the High Court in October 2010 set a six-month deadline for the tanneries in Hazaribagh to relocate to Savar, because of the immense damage they cause to the environment in the area. Going by that order, the tanneries should have moved from Hazaribagh by April 30, 2011.

Source: Dhaka Tribune March 12, 2017 04:26 UTC