World's well-known environmental magazine 'Ecologist' has termed Hazaribagh in Dhaka as one of 30 most polluted places on the planet.
The widely read weekly UK magazine in its article titled 'Hell for Leather', published in June this year, criticised the efforts of constructing an alternative site at Savar and delay in establishment of effluent treatment plant (ETP).
It said tannery workers have been working in a polluted environment in the leather industries in Hazaribagh area.
There are around 200 leather-processing factories in Hazaribagh area. Leather is the fifth largest export-earner that accounts for 3.39 per cent of total export earning.
"Each year US$ 240 million worth of skins are exported from Bangladesh, most of which are sent to the fashion houses of Europe, Japan and China, for working into shoes, handbags and other accessories sold on high streets the world over," the report said focusing on facts behind what they buy into when they buy leather goods.
Quoting claims by campaigners and heath experts, the article said Hazaribagh tanneries are responsible for the chronic pollution of the city's rivers and the systematic poisoning of tens of thousands of people.
Tanneries in Hazaribagh, situated in the heart of capital city, have been discharging toxic untreated effluents into water supplies and waterways.
The article said imported leather that is widely used consumers' goods such as shoes, handbags, trinkets and luxury car interiors in UK is linked to serious heath problems amongst tannery workers.
A commerce ministry official said such media report might bring a serious threat to leather export earning of Bangladesh.
He said international buyers are now becoming more aware of labour rights and environmental issues.
The government is now seriously thinking on shifting the leather industry to Savar as soon as possible, he said.
Main problem hindering the shifting of tanneries from Hazaribagh to leather industrial estate at Savar is fund constraint for establishment of ETP, he added.
The government earlier assured the industry owners of providing fund for construction of ETP, the official said.
The government is now at an awkward position as ETP establishment cost has escalated by five times than that of the estimate made at early stage of the project, he said.
