Kushtia leather market relocation plan still stuck in files

The process of relocating the leather market from an upscale residential area in the heart of Kushtia city has remained stuck in files for a long time. The city’s environment is facing a serious threat due to the strong stench generated every day by leather processing and storage. Several initiatives have previously been taken to move the leather market from the residential area, but for unknown reasons, none has been implemented.
During a visit to the area, it was found that the stench from rotten leather waste has made life miserable for local residents, businesspeople and the general public. A strong foul smell spreads throughout the area whenever a van carrying leather arrives. Pedestrians, taxpayers visiting the Kushtia Regional Income Tax Office and customers of Sonali Bank are forced to cover their noses with handkerchiefs while passing through the area.
Businesspeople wash their daily waste and rotten by-products with water and dump them into the municipal enclosed drains. In the heat of the sun, blood-mixed waste in the drains rots and spreads a foul smell. It also creates a breeding ground for large numbers of mosquitoes. Local residents have complained that the stench is causing breathing difficulties and other illnesses among schoolchildren and the general public.
It is learnt that the leather market was established before independence at an empty site on the outskirts of the city, with only a few small wholesale depots. As the city expanded over the years, the market is now located in the centre of an upscale residential area.
There are currently around 50 small and large wholesale depots in the market. Every year, around 300,000 to 400,000 cattle hides and 350,000 to 400,000 goat and sheep skins are salted here and sent to tanneries in Dhaka and Jashore. This sector of the leather industry contributes around Tk 800 million to Tk 900 million to Kushtia’s economy each year.
Leather traders and officials concerned at Kushtia Municipality said they are also committed to keeping the environment free from pollution. Waste management has been modernised to some extent, and leftover waste is now collected by municipal garbage trucks.
However, the traders said they have always been ready to relocate the leather market. They said business security, a suitable location, improved transport facilities and banking services must be ensured for the relocation. They added that they would welcome it if the Department of Environment or the relevant ministry selected a new location under specific guidelines.
Swift and effective action is needed to protect the city’s environment while preserving the leather industry, which plays an important role in economic growth. Relocating the leather market from the Babar Ali Gate area has now become the sole demand of the people of Kushtia.