Bangladesh's leather industry is considered as one of the considerable growth and investment potential,ranked fifth in the export earning sector and covers 0.5% of the world's leather trade which is worth US$75 billion yearly. There are 187 tanneries located at Hazaribagh in the western part of capital city Dhaka, Bangladesh . Annually about 85,000 tons of raw hide/skin are estimated to be processed for leather production in Bangladesh, which generates about 20,000 m3 effluent per day, passes through river Buriganga. These harmful wastes, including chromium, lead, sulphur, ammonium, salt and other materials, are severely polluting the capital city and the river Buriganga. Unfortunately, excluding one modern tannery (Apex Tannery), none of the tanneries has an effluent treatment plant. Although, tannery industry is playing an important role to the ongoing air, water and environment pollution of Dhaka.
Moreover, the working condition for the tannery laborer is hazardous. The factory owners don't provide their worker proper protection like hand gloves, mask, plastic boot. As most of the workers have come forcefully to work here being a climate migrant, they don't have the voice to raise about their labor right and safety. An immense number of child labor is seen also. Neighborhood of the tannery factories is facing an intolerable smell, producing due to the use of chemical to tanne animal leather.
Thus, this billion dollar revenue making industry of Bangladesh is silently killing the future of these worker's life as well as the environment of Dhaka dweller and Buriganga river.
More info: anikrahman.com
A view of Hazaribagh tannery industry
A tannery worker is walking through tanned leathers hanging for drying at Hazaribagh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
A boy is unloading leather wastage in a leather dump yard at Hazaribagh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
A tannery worker poses for a photo while carrying leather on his head at Hazaribagh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
A tannery worker is standing over wastage of chemicals used for tanning animal leather at Hazaribagh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
A tannery worker is wipping out the remaining at Hazaribagh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
A tannery worker is standing over animal leather with salt without wering any protection at Hazaribagh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
A tannery worker is tanning animal leather using hazardous chemical which creates deadly smoke without wearing mask at Hazaribagh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
A tannery worker is carrying chemicals to be used for tanning animal leather at Hazaribagh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
A tannery worker is tanding inside a well full of chemicals to wipe out the tanned leather without using any protection at Hazaribagh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
A child laborer is carrying dried lather on his shoulder at Hazaribag, Dhaka, Bangladesh
A tannery worker carrying a untanned leather to hang on without using any protection at Hazaribagh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
A tannery worker is working with dried leather without wearing gloves at Hazaribagh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
A man looks towards the camera while some local people are trying to find some leather from a leather dump yard to sell in local show making factories at Hazaribagh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
A tannery worker is washing a bucket used to carry tanning chemical at Buriganga river, Dhaka, Bangladesh
