HC to be moved again for their immediate shifting

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Jubair Hasan
Environmentalists will go to the High Court again for immediately shifting inflammable chemical warehouses from the capital's residential areas as most of them have not yet been shifted even after the government's second deadline ended Thursday.
They also urged the government to conduct an eviction drive from today (Saturday) as the chemical traders failed to comply with the government order.
Chief executive of Bangladesh Environment Lawyers Association Syeda Rizwana Hasan Friday told the FE that they would send their team to old Dhaka for field-level inspection from Sunday.
"Then we'll file our second application to the court with their reports for securing an order against the traders," the environmentalist-cum lawyer said, adding the government should take immediate action to evict such warehouses from the capital's overpopulated areas as they did not follow the government order twice.
Chairman of Bangladesh Paribesh Bachao Andolan Abu Naser Khan said the government should now go for eviction against the chemical warehouses which are very dangerous for public health. "The government should scrap their licences before taking any action for their failure," he added.
After a field visit to the city's Nimtoli, Bangshal, Nawabpur and Lalbagh areas, it was found that most of the traders had not removed their factories from the residential areas.
The government on June 17 ordered the shifting of 20 inflammable chemical warehouses from the residential areas within two months after the devastating fire at the capital's densely-populated Nimtoli area.
At least 120 people were killed and hundreds more received burn injuries in the deadly fire that had devastated a major part of the area where a number of chemical storehouses were located.
Investigators of the incident had said that the blaze turned deadly because of an illegal chemical warehouse which was caught by fire, increasing the temperature and fumes to an unbearable level before spreading to the surrounding buildings.
They also suggested taking away those units outside the residential areas considering the security and safety of the people.
Industries Minister Dilip Barua extended the deadline in mid-August to September 30 after discussion with the traders who requested him to do that. The government also declared its firm stand and warned of taking stern action against the law violators during the second-time extension.
When contacted, the minister admitted that only a few traders complied with the order but most of them had remained unmoved. "We've already instructed the concerned deputy commissioner to take steps against the unmoved warehouses," he added.
Acetone, butyl acetate, isobutanol, DL-2575, ethyl acetate, ethanol, heavy aromatic, isopropyl alcohol, methanol, butanone, propylene glycol, flexo gravure, toluene and reducer were among 20 chemicals the authorities ordered to remove
These types of chemicals are mainly used in the garment, textile, wood polishing, dyeing and plastic industries.