RELOCATION OF HAZARIBAGH TANNERY: MYTH OR REALITY?

Leather industry is one of the export oriented industries of Bangladesh which is gaining both economic and industrial importance now a day. The migration of leather tanning activity from developed to developing countries over the past four decades has also helped this manufacturing activity to increase. The main tannery area is at Hazaribagh in Dhaka. Since precautionary and protective measures have not been taken from the beginning, the environmental condition of Hazaribagh area has been deteriorating for many years. Eventually, it fosters the need of securing this development and growth of tanneries by ensuring the environmental security of the tanning sector and government has launched a relocation project of tannery industries from Hazaribagh to a new area located at Savar. But this relocation project proves to go in vain because of unwillingness to move of the tannery owners and in terms of the cost effectiveness and potential environmental threat of the new area. The redevelopment of the Hazaribagh area after relocation is also seemed to be impossible due to the enormous risk of consequence of the polluted soil, air and water to the human body and structure.