Govt issues legal notices to 28 tanners

The government has served legal notices to the owners of 28 tanneries who are yet to start work to relocate their factories from Hazaribagh in the capital to the designated industrial park in Savar.

“Legal notices have been served to them individually,” Project Director and Joint Secretary Abdul Quayum told UNB on Wednesday.

He said the 28 tannery owners will get the notices, signed yesterday, by tomorrow and many of them have already received.

Earlier, Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, at a meeting with the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), gave a 72-hour ultimatum to move the factories from Hazaribagh.

“The ultimatum expired today (Wednesday),” Abdul Quayum said adding that they have so far given reminders to tanners 27 times.

Asked whether the government has any plan to cancel the plots of those tanners, the official said they have no such intention yet but want them to start their works in Savar.

He, however, did not mention the names of the owners who have been served with legal notices.

However, sources at the industries ministry said if the tanneries fail to shift their factories after 72 hours of the legal notice, the allocation of the plots in the leather industrial park in Savar will be cancelled.

The industries ministry has already allocated plots on the 200-acre leather estate in Savar to 155 tannery owners through BSCIC, a wing of the industries ministry that is implementing the project.

The tanners will have to invest around Tk 6,000 crore to relocate the factories, set up new plants and begin commercial production. There are some 195 tanneries at Hazaribagh.