DHAKA: Department of Environment (DoE) fined four washing factories for damaging environment, atmosphere and aquatic biodiversity by emitting unrefined liquid waste to river Turag, a government-enlisted environmentally critical area (ECA).

The factories are M & M Washing & Dyeing Mills, Colour Mark Washing Limited, Unique Textile Limited and Laundry Gate (Pvt) Limited (Hossen Washing and Dyeing), located at BSCIC (Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation) Industrial City under Tongi upazila of Gazipur district.

On December 9, environment and forests deputy minister Abdullah Al Islam Jakob visited the factories at the BSCIC City and sealed the four washing factories as they were operating services without effluent treatment plants (ETP).

On Sunday, owners of the factories attended a hearing at the DoE headquarters where DoE director (monitoring and enforcement) M Alamgir Hossain fined the four factories Tk 20 lakh each.

DoE assistant director Hafizur Rahman confirmed the matter to banglanews.

BDST: 1735 HRS, DEC 14, 2014