Dhaka: Tannery owners in the capital’s Hazaribagh have deposited Tk 55.9 lakh with the national exchequer as compensation for polluting the environment.

Owners of 98 out of 154 tanneries deposited the money as per a direction of the Supreme Court, according to report submitted on Monday by the industries secretary to the apex court.

On 9 August, Supreme Court lawyer Manzill Murshid sent a legal notice to the industries secretary asking him to submit a report to the High Court on whether the 154 Hazaribagh tannery owners are paying compensation for damaging the environment.

Responding to the notice, the report was submitted today, Manzill Murshid told reporters.

He said the money was deposited from August 11 to August 16.

The lawyer said those tannery owners not paying compensation for harming the environment will be charged with contempt of court.

On June 16 last, the High Court asked each of 154 tannery owners to pay Tk 50,000 in compensation every day until they relocate their factories to Savar. It also ordered the industries secretary to monitor whether they pay the compensations, and submit a report through an affidavit to it from time to time.

As the Tannery Owners' Association filed the leave to appeal against the High Court order, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on July 17 upheld the HC order resetting the compensation amount at Tk 10,000 a day.