Slow Violence at Bangladesh Tannery Industry in the Disguise of Infrastructure and Development
In the contemporary landscape of urbanization, the intersection of slow violence, toxicity, and industry has emerged as a critical nexus impacting ecological processes, social mobility, and public health. This investigation delves into the intricate fabric of urban externalities, exploring the insidious nature of violence by the billion-dollar tannery industry of Bangladesh and its enduring consequences and pressure on the built fabric.
In the mid-nineties, the emergence of the tannery industry on the outskirts of urban areas paved the way for its subsequent relocation towards the city in Hazaribagh, Dhaka due to ease of connectivity, transportation, and networking. This organic and informal growth for about fifty years brought about significant expansion in terms of trade and commerce, yet inadvertently triggered an immense ecological crisis, killing the river Buriganga, the birth mother of Dhaka city. Despite several efforts aimed at executing a proposed shift from informal to formalized infrastructure, the project was delayed for seventeen years, primarily stemming from the absence of proper monetization strategies and conflict between the stakeholders. Even with the shift to the formalized tannery estate, the intended remedy exacerbated the issue, resulting in a dualistic scenario within the new environment, and continued ecological violence. The experience gleaned from past ecological catastrophes, particularly the devastation witnessed along the river Buriganga, failed to deter the tanneries’ deleterious practices. Instead of rectifying actions, the tannery simply transplanted its operations to the banks of the river Dhaleshwari, thereby perpetuating a distressing cycle of historical repetition of ecological genocide.
This study navigates the interconnectedness of these multifaceted agencies, unveiling the hidden layers and complexities inherent in the Bangladesh tannery industry’s spillover effects. It explores the urban externalities implicated in societal structures and ecological equilibrium, that extend beyond the boundaries and affect human and non-human entities within and far from the urban.
Bangladeshi workers unload tannery waste at the Tannery Industrial Area on the banks of the Dhaleshwari River in Savar, Bangladesh