Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Bangladesh factories ordered shut to save river

BANGLADESH'S high court has ordered the shutdown of 231 factories that have contributed to Dhaka's main river becoming one of the world's most polluted, a lawyer said Tuesday (21).

The country is crisscrossed by hundreds of rivers, but a recent industrial boom, including the emergence of the world's second biggest garment industry, has prompted officials to turn a blind eye to the industrial waste they dump into rivers.


In a landmark decision hailed by activists, the court Monday (20) ordered the authorities to take immediate action against the 231 factories including dyeing and rubber plants and tanneries dumping effluent into the Buriganga.

"The court asked them to disconnect all utilities including electricity, gas and water supplies to these factories," lawyer Manzil Murshid, who filed the public interest litigation, said.

"This order will go a long way to save the Buriganga from an ecological disaster," he told.

The Buriganga connects the capital with the southern coastal districts through a network of rivers. For centuries it was the gateway to the 400-year-old city built by the Mughals.

But for decades more than 100 tanneries dumped industrial effluent into the river, turning it into one the world's dirtiest waterways, according to Ainun Nishat, a river expert.

According to the Human Rights Watch, each day the tanneries would discharge some 21,000 cubic metres (5.5 million US gallons) of untreated waste containing chromium, lead and other chemicals into the Buriganga.

Although under international pressure the tanneries were forced to relocate in 2017, hundreds of illegal factories, most constructed without complying with environmental regulations, continued to pollute the river.

"We welcome the decision because these factories kept on polluting the river as they didn't have any effluent treatment plants," Nishat said, adding he hoped the authorities would overcome "political pressure" to execute the order.

National River Conservation Commission of Bangladesh (NRCCB), the state-run legal guardian of all Bangladesh rivers, has called the verdict "a great achievement".

"These factories have been committing two grievous crimes. They don't have environmental approvals and have been polluting rivers for years," NRCCB chairman Mujibur Rahman Howlader told.

Howlader said the court decision would strengthen the authorities against influential factory owners. "We'll monitor the progress of the compliance," he said.

In recent years the government of prime minister Sheikh Hasina has stepped up efforts to save rivers by ordering a nationwide drive to evict businesses, squatters and illegal factories from their shores.

Last year alone, the authorities demolished 4,000 illegal establishments from the banks of four Dhaka rivers.

Sheikh Rokon, the head of Riverine People advocacy group, said "at least 38 rivers are now dying due to unbridled pollution and land grabbing".

"The government must act fast against the polluters and grabbers. Otherwise, these rivers will be wiped off the country's map," he said.

(AFP)

More For You

modi-trump-getty
Modi shakes hands with Trump before a meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on February 25, 2020. (Photo: Getty Images)
Getty Images

Indian exporters watch closely as Trump says trade deal with India likely

THE US could reach a trade deal with India that would help American companies compete more easily in the Indian market and reduce tariff rates, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday. However, he cast doubt on a similar deal with Japan.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said he believed India was ready to lower trade barriers, potentially paving the way for an agreement that would avoid the 26 per cent tariff rate he had announced on April 2 and paused until July 9.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kolhapuri sandal sales surge in India post Prada controversy

Customers shop for 'Kolhapuri' sandals, an Indian ethnic footwear, at a store in New Delhi, India, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Kolhapuri sandal sales surge in India post Prada controversy

INDIAN footwear sellers and artisans are tapping into nationalist pride stoked by the Prada 'sandal scandal' in a bid to boost sales of ethnic slippers with history dating back to the 12th century, raising hopes of reviving a struggling craft.

Sales are surging over the past week for the 'Kolhapuri' sandals that have garnered global attention after Prada sparked a controversy by showcasing similar designs in Milan, without initially crediting the footwear's origins.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK business district
The Canary Wharf business district including global financial institutions in London.
Getty Images

Economy grew 0.7 per cent in Q1 2025, fastest in a year

THE UK economy expanded at its fastest pace in a year during the first quarter of 2025, driven by a rise in home purchases ahead of a tax deadline and higher manufacturing output before the introduction of new US import tariffs.

Gross domestic product rose by 0.7 per cent in the January-to-March period, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, confirming its earlier estimate. This was the strongest quarterly growth since the first quarter of 2024.

Keep ReadingShow less
modi-trump-getty
Trump shakes hands with Modi during a joint press conference at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on February 25, 2020. (Photo: Getty Images)
Getty Images

Key issues in India, US trade talks

TRADE talks between India and the US have hit a roadblock over disagreements on duties for auto components, steel and farm goods, Indian government sources said to Reuters, dashing hopes of reaching an interim deal ahead of president Donald Trump's July 9 deadline to impose reciprocal tariffs.

Here are the key issues at play:

Keep ReadingShow less
Anil Agarwal

Vedanta Resources, which is based in the UK and owned by Indian billionaire Anil Agarwal, has been working on reducing its debt. (Photo credit: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Anil Agarwal’s Vedanta Resources signs £438 million refinancing deal

VEDANTA LTD said on Thursday that its parent company, Vedanta Resources, has signed a loan facility agreement worth up to £438 million with international banks to refinance existing debt.

The refinancing move, where old loans are replaced by new ones, often at better terms like lower interest rates, has led ratings agencies such as S&P Global Ratings and Moody's to upgrade their outlook on the company this year.

Keep ReadingShow less