Dhaka: Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu on Wednesday said the government would take steps as per the higher court’s order against tannery owners who will not shift their industrial units to Savar’s ‘Chamra Shiplanagari’ from Hazaribag by December 31.

‘If tanners fail to comply with this order, the allocated plots will be cancelled and all utility facilities including supply of gas, power and water will be stopped as per the higher court’s directives,’ said the minister while speaking at a meeting here.

The meeting reviewed the progress of work of the project’s Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP), Dumping Yard. Industries secretary Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation chairman Ahmad Hossain Khan, chairman of Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather Goods and Footwear Exporters’ Association M Abu Taher, Bangladesh Tanners Association chairman Md Shahin Ahmed, among others, attended the meeting.

The meeting was informed that two modules of CEPT will be completed by December this year and these two modules will be able to treat waste of 100 tannery factories.

It was also informed 107 tanneries have been given 20 per cent compensation and four tanneries have been given 60 per cent compensation for shifting the factories to Savar from Hazaribag.

During the meeting the owners of the tannery factories assured the industries minister of relocating their industrial units to Savar from Hazaribag and said that global buyers stopped buying leather and leather products from Bangladesh on the excuse of environment pollution.

They requested the authorities to ensure security of the Savar’s ‘Chamra Shiplanagari’ and complete the construction of its main gate and road.