SC stays order to fine tannery owners

Staff Correspondent: The Supreme Court (SC) stayed till July 17 a High Court (HC) order that had ordered 154 tanners of Hazaribagh to pay Tk 50,000 each per day as compensation for damaging the environment.

Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the order on Tuesday.

Barrister Fazle Noor Taposh moved for the Tannery Owners’ Association and Finished leather Export Association while Advocate Monzil Morshed stood for the petitioner.

The chamber Judge also sent the stay petition to the full bench of the Appellate Division for its hearing on July 17.

Earlier, on Monday, Tannery Owners’ Association filed leave-to-appeal against the High Court order.

The HC in its June 16 order asked the owners to deposit the money with the state exchequer from the date of receiving copies of the HC order until relocation of their factories to Savar Tannery Industrial Estate.

The High Court order came following a petition by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.

The court also ordered the environment secretary to assess the environmental damage caused by the tannery industry to the Buriganga River and submit a report to it by July 17.

risingbd/Dhaka/Jun 28, 2016/Mehedi/Nasim