Toxic tanneries : the health repercussions of Bangladesh's Hazaribagh leather

"Every year, Bangladesh exports hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of leather for luxury goods to some 70 countries worldwide, including China, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Germany, Spain, and the United States. Most of this leather originates in tanneries in Hazaribagh, a neighborhood of Dhaka, the capital. Toxic Tanneries documents health problems among workers and residents of Hazaribagh's slums related to unregulated pollution produced by these tanneries and dangerous working conditions within them. Many tanneries do not supply appropriate or sufficient protective equipment, or training to work with harmful chemicals and aging machinery; some managers deny sick leave or compensation to workers who fall ill or are injured on the job. Residents of Hazaribagh's slums complain of illnesses such as fevers, respiratory problems, diarrhea, and skin, stomach, and eye conditions. Government officials and tannery association representatives told Human Rights Watch that no Hazaribagh tannery has an effluent treatment plant to treat its waste. Consequently, pollutant levels in tannery wastewater surpass Bangladesh's permitted limits for tannery effluent, in some cases by many thousands of times permitted concentrations. Under international law, Bangladesh's government must take reasonable steps to protect the right to health of everyone in its borders. But government officials told Human Rights Watch that they do not enforce environmental or labor laws with respect to Hazaribagh's tanneries, and the government has ignored High Court orders to clean up, relocate, or shut offending tanneries. Human Rights Watch calls on the government to immediately begin enforcing its environmental and labor laws in Hazaribagh's tanneries. It also calls on international companies to ensure that all leather and leather goods originate from tanneries in compliance with international standards and Bangladeshi environmental and labor law"--Page 4 of cover.