Bangladesh's Ministry of Industries has asked the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), to finish work quickly at the Saver project, for the relocation of over 220 tanneries from Hazaribagh. The cost of the project is BDT1.75 billion ($27 million) and is being implemented in response to serious concerns from environmentalists over protecting the Buriganga River from the toxic pollution caused by the tanneries.

The government had planned for the project to be completed in December, but is now hoping it will be finished before it hands over power to the caretaker government in October.

According to Jahangir Alam, a member of Bangladesh Tanners’ Association (BTA), the authority has already started allocating plots for tanneries, but, work is likely to take a few more months before the estate becomes fully operational.