SC stays tanneries till July 17

The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed till July 17 its earlier order that penalised 154 Hazaribagh-based tanneries for not relocating to Savar Tannery Estate within the time stipulated.

 

Chamber judge of the Appellate Division Justice Hasan Foyez Siddique issued the stay order following a petition, said Barrister Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury, who appeared for the tannery owners, reports UNB.

 

Earlier on June 16, the High Court directed 154 tannery owners at Hazaribagh to pay Tk 50,000 per day as compensation to the government for not relocating their industries to Savar Tannery Estate within the given time.

 

The Industries Ministry submitted a report to the HC mentioning that a total of 154 tanneries were yet to be shifted to the designated site in Savar.

 

Following the report, the HC said the 154 tannery owners will have to pay compensation every day until the relocation of their industries to Savar, said Advocate Manzill Murshid.

 

The government on April 1 suspended rawhide supply to Hazaribagh tanneries as the tanners had failed to meet the March 31 deadline,  the latest in a line of several such deadlines missed in the past.

 

The government then again extended the March 31 deadline till April 10 following a request from the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), the implementing agency of the leather estate project.