Tanners can start production at Savar estate from April

Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu Thursday said the tannery relocation would be completed by March next year, and the tanners could start production from April at the Savar Tannery Estate.
The minister was briefing journalists at the tannery site in Savar after a visit to the place by a few ministers and ruling party MPs. They included Environment Minister Anwar Hossain Manju, Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan, Food Minister Kamrul Islam, Dhaka-12 MP Fazle Hossain Tapos and Dhaka-10 MP Rahmat Ullah.
The visit was organised by Bangladesh Tanners Association, and Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather Goods and Footwear Exporters' Association. The leaders concerned and Estate officials were also present.
They held meeting with the stakeholders, and Amir Hossain Amu briefed journalists later. The minister said the tanners must relocate their tanneries by the time given.
 "We have reached a consensus, they will relocate by the specific time and it is mandatory. If anybody fails to comply, they will face the music," he said at the briefing.
 "The relocation is not only a requirement of ours; it is also the leather product buyers' condition…. If we cannot execute it, we will lose our market," he said.
The minister added most of the tanneries have availed their approved plans for construction of buildings, now they can start work.
Later, the minister, along with others, visited the central effluent treatment plant (CETP) site, which has long been sparking a note of discord between the government and the tanners.
Min Zou, representative of the Chinese company which is building the CETP, said they were working day and night, and they could complete the CETP construction if the government support, including funds, was kept  going.
The Industries Minister also promised that the work would not be hampered due to fund shortages or lack of other supports from the government.
Chinese joint venture JLEPCL-DCL is building the plant at a cost of Tk 4.7 billion at the Savar Leather Industrial Park.
According to the memorandum of understanding (MoU), the government will provide Tk 2.5 billion as compensation to the tanners for the relocation and give them Tk 6.63 billion (80 per cent) out of the total project cost.