The Department of Environment conducted a drive at ACI Salt Factory located in the Mangal Khali area of Rupganj upazila, Narayanganj, over allegations of environmental pollution and waste mismanagement. During the operation, a mobile court fined the factory Tk 200,000 for failing to manage industrial waste properly. The factory authorities immediately paid the fine.
The drive was led by Tariqul Alam, Assistant Commissioner (Land) of Rupganj upazila and Executive Magistrate, on Thursday afternoon.
Executive Magistrate Tariqul Alam said that the ACI Salt factory had illegally occupied land belonging to the Water Development Board and the Shitalakkhya River. He further added that despite having an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) in place, the factory authorities were not using it and instead dumping untreated industrial waste directly into the river. In addition, toxic waste was being transported by pickup vans and dumped on various local roadsides, which has been killing plants and trees and creating serious health risks. These issues had previously been reported in the media, prompting the higher authorities to order the mobile court drive.
During the raid, it was also found that although the factory had received environmental clearance and other permits, the owners had failed to renew those for nearly 11 years. The allegations of waste mismanagement were proven, resulting in the immediate fine of Tk 200,000. The authorities confirmed that other allegations would be reviewed through document verification and further action would be taken as per higher authority directives.
Inspector Titu Barua of Narayanganj District Department of Environment, along with other administrative officials, were present during the drive.
Responding to the incident, ACI Salt’s Assistant General Manager, S.M. Neyamul Bari, claimed that the factory has been operating in compliance with all laws and regulations. He said, “We have obtained all necessary approvals from the Department of Environment and pay government revenues regularly. Compared to many other factories, our waste management system is far better. Furthermore, the salt processing in this factory is carried out through advanced technology, meeting the demand of consumers across the country.”
